Acts of Desperation
by Sestren NK
Summary: Dark Nemesis Trilogy Story III. Since the last story, nothing's gone right for Kim in the last 17 months. She has a price on her head, forced to team up with a lethal adversary since the man she loved left her. But why? KR? Finally updated...
1. Prologue

**Kim Possible: Acts of Desperation**

Intro: Hi, it's me again. I got the idea for this story shortly after I finished my last fic, pretty much right after I said I wasn't sure if I would write another. Odd how things are like that. Well, if you're not familiar with my past works, I did two stories: The Sociopath Episode and Dark Retribution. TSE took off right where So the Drama left off with the assumption that it was Kim and Ron's senior prom. DR takes place three months later, and I admit with pride I went overboard with a lot of things in that story. I never thought I'd ever write anything 255,500 words long, considering writing was just a hobby I took after losing interest in developing the Techno Fiend theme for Stepmania. Just don't expect epic five-star stories, or any expectations at all. They're just ideas in my head that need to get out somehow, which also applies to this one. But hey, some people like them, so hey, I'm cool with that.

Now for ownage rights and all that hoohah, in case you didn't know:

Kim Possible, Ron Stoppable, Rufus, Wade Load, Monique, Bonnie Rockwaller, Yori, Sensei, Drakken, Shego, Monkey Fist, Dr. Director and Will Du are Bob and Mark's.  
Valia Ryan, Sean Hanteren, Nev Killbourne, Jen Ferno, The Fingers, Eiji, Melissa Uso and Lexis are mine. No takie my characters.

What to expect? Just like the last stories, the KR relationship plays a key role, but the story is much darker, there's a lot of violent action scenes, minor language, and for some strange reason some of my ideas come from what people dislike about the show or thought what was missing from it. Or maybe me. It all started out as one of those "What if?" moments, and then evolved into something else.

Just to warn you though, you're going to see a LOT of "out of character" moments, and it's needed for this story. Intentional! Part of a story doesn't make sense because it hasn't been totally covered? Intentional! (Usually). Not only since Kim and Ron have changed a lot because of their relationship, but in this case, this story take place 17 months after the last one did, and things haven't changed for the better one bit in Kim's life.

And before I start, something I should've done a long time ago, I'd like to thank those who stuck around for my last stories, in no particular order. cman1p2, charazardag, Zaratan, JPMod, Matri, Ace Ian Combat, bdburns7289, Frederick Aloysius, kivlov, demon-sword, aimtbj, chao-hellsing, MrDrP, G-Go, userx, Springo, coolkid2003911, sehnsucht792, yvj, anyone with an anonymous name, and just about everyone else who read.

I have to give cman1p2 a lot of props on this story for giving me an idea I originally didn't plan to go with, but then I realized it had a lot of good potential mixing it with the idea I already had. You probably know what I mean, or you'll find out later on if you don't.

Sorry guys, we won't be seeing multiple-chapter updates like the last time. Yes, the story is going to be extremely long and it's complex, but most of it concerns details, details, details.

Now, assuming someone actually read all that, on with the show.

* * *

**Prologue**

_December 2006_

"Hah! Victory is finally mine! I told you! You didn't believe me but I told you!"

"If I pretend to be impressed, will you finally shut up?"

The man ignored her. "Please, Shego, do you know what this means?"

"That you're not a _total_ loser?"

"No! I mean, well, yes! Disregard! What it means is that I am _in_ the _zone!"_

Shego merely covered her face as Drakken held his trophy like a newborn child. She took a seat at the computer as Drakken put his prize on the TV.

"Take _that_ Killigan! Telling me I couldn't win! But who's the karaoke master now? Who's the master of Upperton's Karaoke Competition? Dr. Drakken, that's who!"

Shego covered her face when she noticed Drakken was attempting to breakdance. "Okay, I get it, you won the competition. You've been going on about it for at least two hours! Can we finally drop it?"

Drakken appeared no less cheerful than he did on the plane out of Upperton. "But this is my first major win!"

Shego cleared her throat. "Forget something? Possible?"

Drakken agreed. "Ah, of course! I told you I was onto something that night! Kim Possible dating the buffoon; that was her weakness! And it still is!"

"So if you're onto something, why haven't we crushed her yet?"

Drakken rolled his eyes. "Oh Shego, don't you know anything? What fun would it be destroying her just like that? You need flavor… style… finesse…"

Shego scoffed. "Mmhmm, yeah… Not something you'd be an expert on," she said as she sat down at the computer.

"Oh hush," Drakken pouted. "Anyway, how about we kidnap the buffoon and turn him against her!"

"And how do you suppose we do that?"

"Mind control! And I still have some leftover chips in the back!"

Shego blinked several times. "I'm sorry, what? Didn't I tell you to throw those out or else, like over two years ago?"

Her boss wasn't paying attention. "Imagine, Kim Possible being destroyed by her own boyfriend! Oh, can't you see it, Shego?"

No answer.

"Shego?"

Shego had occupied herself with doing research on the lair's main computer. It had been a while since they had gotten involved with the world-renown teen hero. At least, when she was once known as that. But that wasn't to say that Kim had dropped out of the hero business, not anywhere close. She still saved the world when she could, but with college occupying most of her time, not to mention certain circumstances in her life, she wasn't anywhere near the top of her game as everyone once remembered her by. There were also other things, other people for that matter, that allowed for this to happen.

Something about Drakken's idea didn't seem that original, and Shego was looking to see if she was right about this.

"Actually I do," Shego finally answered. "I'd hate to be a buzzkill, Dr. D, but it looks like someone beat you to it a loooong time ago."

Drakken ran up to the computer screen in shock. Shego had accessed a public database on everything Kim Possible. Past missions, education information, marital status, honors, awards, her family and the people in her life, and of course the most interesting of them all, extensive information about every single adversary Kim had faced in the past. She had faced hundreds and nearly thousands of people who put the world in danger.

Shego had brought up one in particular, a teenager with dark and deadly look written all over him. Jet black spiky hair, a scar near his left eye and covered most of his forehead, eerie pale blue eyes, and what appeared to be a cybernetic left arm. He had an extremely threatening appearance but didn't appear to be much older than Kim, if at all.

"Hmm, a little bit on the dramatic side…" Shego analyzed. "Oh, look Drew, he's got a scar on his left eye like you, but hey, get this! It's actually _authentic!"_ she teased with a big smile on her face.

"Valia E. Ryan? Who's that?" Drakken asked, not hearing the iceburn from Shego. But his surprised almost instantly died. "Eh, if I haven't heard of him, he's probably nothing then."

Shego turned back to the monitor. "Looks like someone's been keeping Kimmie busy while we were away…" Typing followed. "Let's see… says he tried to use mind control to turn her and the buffoon against each other using some kind of jewel… same age, just as short as she is… Looks like someone doesn't like fairy tale relationships."

Drakken was also reading. "He's not the only one… Hmm…" He became intrigued by the bio again, but with one word his interest was lost. "Dead. Too bad."

Shego shook her head as she continued to read the information. "Nope. _Presumed_ dead until three months later… behind the destruction of government weapons and poisoning a senator, using Kim and the buffoon as pawns. Targeted Stoppable numerous times to tug at Kimmie's heartstrings… in an attempt to teach her how to properly think in life/ death situations? Okay, strange… believed his fight against the conspiracy was for the better of the world. Sentenced to life and death, escaped from jail and has been on the run since… Hey, check it. Just about every one of Possible's enemies have tried to recruit him, some by force… all denied."

"Hmph," Drakken puffed as he crossed his arms. "Someone's full of himself."

Shego went on. "Also hunted by assassins on occasion, all beaten and without a scratch. Hmm. Pursued by Possible since… Wow. Looks like his win ratio against her is nearing your losing one, Doc."

"Is that a good or bad thing?" he couldn't figure out.

"It means that he's managed to outsmart and escape from little miss teen hero for the last year or so. Oh, what do we have here? Video feed?" Shego looked intrigued. "Don't mind if we do."

Whatever was on the screen was powerful enough to knock her hair back. The footage came from a year ago when Kim and her opponent, Val, engaged each other on the roof of the highest tower in Bay City, a brutal fight that sent sweat, blood and rain everywhere. Spotlights from helicopters and flying surveillance cameras provided the scenery as several henchmen held Ron hostage, waiting to make a move. Drakken was surprised to see how much Kim's fighting skills had progressed since the Diablo scheme, and more at her opponent's. Shego didn't seem fazed one bit. They watched the short fight from middle to end, and it appeared as if Ryan was going to win, but Kim made a comeback and defeated her opponent by a narrow margin, at least that's what it appeared to be before the footage abruptly ended.

Drakken couldn't believe the cliffhanger. "That's it? I gotta see more! Wait, what does it say about his skills again?"

Shego navigated more on the page, but for some reason appeared distraught when a few words came across her eyes. Drakken noticed.

"Shego?"

"Now they say _he's_ her arch-rival?" she asked in angered shock, but continued to read on. "For someone the same age as Kimmie, he can do everything she can and more. More agile, smarter, skilled… can control any vehicle, properly utilize any weapon, expert in biomechanics and bio-engineering, trained in more martial arts styles, escape artist, master of infiltration and espionage, disguise… I'm not even going to read everything on the list." It was that long.

Drakken was puzzled. "So… why hasn't he taken over the world yet?"

"Wasn't interested." Shego dryly answered. "In fact, it doesn't say what he's interested in. Toying around with Kimmie and exploiting her obvious weakness of Stoppable and being a teenager… That's really it. Nothing about who he really is or why he does what he does."

Drakken didn't seem amused. "Well, it's no big deal then, but I do like the idea of him giving her a hard time because of her heart. Hee hee hee…"

"Yeah… I need to get my reputation back…" she merely responded. She obviously wasn't paying attention and had other things on her mind.

Drakken knew this was bad. To see Shego appear troubled was one thing, but knowing it was because someone else took her place in the game was another. "Uh, Shego, mayb-"

"No." she quickly came back with. "I need to see this."

She quickly clicked on a button with a second video feed that was available.

* * *

_Eight months before – April 2006_

Go City. The city isn't a quiet one at night. The stars shined brightly as bright clouds were lit by the city streets below. Suddenly, a loud roar filled the speakers as a monorail train flew past the screen at full speed.

Switch to another camera from a farther distance. At first it appeared to be nothing but an ordinary monorail train. But as the angle of the camera turned down, it appeared two people were getting a ride, and they were anything but mere passengers.

"Did you hear me, Val? This stops here!" one yelled.

The other one took his time before answering, letting out an exhilarated laugh.

"On the contrary, my friend! You haven't seen anything yet!"

The camera zoomed in, revealing both Kim and her rival hanging from the bottom of the monorail via grappling hooks. Val was standing upside down from the bottom front car as Kim was in pursuit from the second.

* * *

"Whoa, rewind."

* * *

Just minutes ago, police and other authorities had confronted him as he came out of the entrance doors with the stolen prize. They had been on his trail for some time, and they wanted to finish this. The second he stepped out of the museum and revealed himself, guns went blazing, along with a grenade. Not only was the grenade a dud, but the bullets refused to hit him. No one would notice until they realized he hadn't fallen and kept himself casual as he walked down the stairs. Finally, it was revealed that some kind of spherical force field was protecting him. He vanished into thin air no different than a ninja, and once the news reporters came onto the scene, many speculated that the stolen stone had something to do with it. Others believed he was wearing some device that allowed for it. Either way, the thief had gotten away without a scratch.

Val stopped on the roof of a tall building to quadruple-check the stolen goods. He checked it with a flashlight, studying it or searching for something.

'_Just my luck, when Team Go decides to head to Europe for vacation… but you… why did you start to glow…?'_ he thought to himself. _'Does that mean that this is-'_

"Drop it," a firm voice interrupted.

A smile made its way to Val's face. He simply hid the gem safely in his trenchcoat, inhaling the air with closed eyes as he got onto his feet.

"Ah, Kim. A bit late, are you not?"

Behind him was teen hero Kim Possible, already in a fighting stance.

"You're not going to get away this time," she threatened.

Val slightly turned around to greet his adversary. "Late due to another date with Ron, huh? Which one was it this time? Bueno Nacho again? A movie? The treehouse?"

Kim didn't answer.

He then realized, "Oh, of course, the Spring Blowout Sale at Club Banana. You women and your fashion… Well, I wish I could say I'm surprised."

Not a muscle on Kim's face moved. She stood with skeptical and defiant eyes. "Cut the chit chat already."

Still smiling, Val revealed that under his trenchcoat he was armed with just about every projectile weapon. Grenades, shurikens, knives, daggers, the whole deal. He was armed to the teeth. His hand was moving closer to a rope on his right hip, just as the roars of an engine could be heard approaching.

"As you wish."

He quickly shot his arm upward and instantly disappeared. Kim saw for a split second that the rope was actually a whip, used as a grappling cord, and the engine was the monorail that ran through town. Without taking a second to think about it, Kim quickly grabbed her grappling gun and shot it at the bottom of the train. The hook latched onto the rear car. A second sooner she would have missed and shot at nothing but thin air. Kim of course was yanked from the roof and sent flying past several buildings. The train had a total of eight cars, and Val was on the fourth.

One would normally have a hard time focusing on a single object moving at near 60 miles per hour in a busy city filled with lights, but Kim could clearly see her target. Val was actually armed with a whip and another grappling cord, and he used the other to move himself forward. However, Kim wasn't armed with two grappling guns and she hadn't fixed the grappling cords in her gloves, broken by Val himself before. She could release the hook and attempt to fire again, since Wade had recently implemented a special kind of hook into Kim's gun. At the cost of a thin wire, several tiny, lightweight but powerful hooks were placed in the wire, only to extract when they reached the tip. So if Kim would detach a hook from the wire, which was now an option, another would come out immediately afterward. Because the hooks were so small, a six-foot long cord could consist of well over two hundred of these hooks. Even if the wire snapped, a hook would come out and be ready to hang onto something. Take into consideration that the cord was much longer than ever. If the entire wire in the gun was measured, you would have over two hundred feet.

Kim had to do something to get herself closer. With not even a second to think, she retracted the cord so that her hands were only inches away from the bottom of the train. From there, she released the hook from the wire. Almost instantly another hook came out, but time and gravity wouldn't work in her favor. Aiming it as far as she could before she started to descend, Kim shot the gun again, and this time it latched onto the sixth car. It took her some time to retract the cord because of how much wire was fired. By this time Val was already on the second car himself, and he had it much easier.

The same technique was performed again and again, and in no time she was one car behind Val. He secured the stone along with the rest of his equipment and arsenal.

"What are you really after?" Kim hollered through the air.

Instead of immediately answering, he pulled himself upward as he pulled the wires closer. It wasn't long before he stood upside down on the front train, both hands secure on his cords.

"Did you hear me, Val? This stops here!" Kim yelled.

* * *

Drakken rubbed his chin. "He certainly likes to show off, doesn't he?"

Shego brushed her hand towards him, instructing him to quiet down. "Yep, _now _we're back where we started."

* * *

"On the contrary, my friend! You haven't seen anything yet!" Val yelled with a confident smile on his face.

"Do surprise me!" Kim hollered.

"Shouldn't you be more concerned with your usual take-over-the-world villains?" he teased.

Kim figured that since he was standing upside down, everything would have fallen out of his jacket, including the stolen object. However, the fierce winds of the train kept his coat from falling down, and everything inside was secure. She grunted as the wind sent her back and forth, nearly hitting the supporting pole in the middle.

"Villain or no villain, you're not stealing some ancient artifact on my watch!" she answered.

The thief laughed. "Steal? No, I believe you misunderstand, my friend!"

"What are you talking about?"

"I'm only taking it back!"

But Ryan was a master of mind games and Kim knew it. She wasn't convinced. "Even so, you still haven't done time for everything else you've done!" Finally, she retracted the cord and put her foot under one of the pipes. She too mimicked Val's upside-down stance. Her hook to support her right, the foot under the pipe the left side of her body.

Val shook his head as wind blew his hair past his face. "Kim, that was months ago and I had already explained the situation then!"

Kim merely grunted. "You played me good, Val, I'll give you that, but it ends now!"

Val cackled. "Is that why I've gotten away the last ten or twelve times? I enjoy the company but this is getting tedious!"

Kim growled. "Enough! You've been doing nothing but steal relics since you got out!"

"Well, someone hasn't been paying attention!" Val hollered with a bitter tone. "Taking these has only occurred on a one-out-of-three ratio! The other… you've been doing nothing but interfere with my life!"

Kim didn't seem threatened. "Look, Val! I know you tried to pretend to be the good guy last time, but you played me! The truth is, you still haven't done time for the first time we met, and you weren't totally innocent the last time, either!"

Val let out a cynical chuckle as he shook his head. "The truth is that I've been trying to start over since! But no, every time I find a moment to relax, you always have to interfere! Whether it be taking these relics back to where they belong, or trying to live a normal life, you're always there to ruin everything! I can't even eat a spicy corn dog without you messing everything up!"

* * *

A tear made its way to Drakken's eye. "This kid speaks to me, Shego. I can't do anything without her getting in my way."

Shego cleared her throat. "_Couldn't_, you mean. That was back then." She sighed just looking at her boss. "Do we have a violin around here?"

* * *

Kim was quick to argue back. "Is that why you set me up with those tickets? You set me up on a ruined date!"

Val laughed as he looked to Kim again. "Who's dwelling on the past now? I've learned to leave everything behind in order to start a new life, so why can't you move on? Besides, it wasn't _my_ fault _you_ chose to engage 'Go' there!"

Kim only growled further, but it hardly affected Val, whose attention was to the skies.

* * *

Eyes widened. "Did he refer to me as just 'Go'?"

Drakken seemed amused. "Hmm, so that's why she was there that night. This guy's pretty good if he tricked her and the buffoon into a date he knew would be ruined. Why couldn't I think of that?"

"I'm not even going to bother answering that one," said Shego.

* * *

Kim was whispering, and the wind wouldn't allow him to hear her. "Ron, we're heading your way."

Far away inside another building next to the monorail, Ron listened in as the Ronnunicator acted like a headset, pulling out a pair of binoculars and catching the approaching train in his sight.

"I can barely hear you, KP."

"_Just get ready over there." _she said with little patience in her voice._  
_

"Copy that. Over." Ron giggled as he put the binoculars away. "I've always wanted to say that."

The naked mole rat on his shoulder shook his head before jumping back into his owner's pocket.

"Well, it's a good thing we planned this thing out," he said as he rubbed his hands together. "Okay, buddy. Ready?"

"_Ron. On the count of three. One, two…"_

Ron took the moment to think._ 'I hope this works, KP.'_

* * *

"So, are you just going to stand there and enjoy the scenery, Val?" Kim taunted.

"I might, though the blood rush isn't good for either of us," he calmly answered.

Suddenly, one of the windows from an oncoming building shattered from someone jumping out of it. It was Ron, and before Val even realized it, he was tackled and knocked off the train.

"Booyah!"

Ron had managed to wrap his arms around Val's neck, but in the same instant Val was able to escape from Ron's grip.

"Booyah denied!" Val yelled.

Seeing this, Kim thrusted herself off the train. From the view of the camera, three teenagers were falling from a tall building.

Since Kim knew how to dive and control her falling speed, she managed to catch up to Ron quickly. Grabbing each other, they tried together to increase their speed. However, Val managed to regain himself and started sprinting down the building, going down faster than his followers were falling. After he distanced himself quite a bit from the two, he stopped running and let gravity do the rest while shaping his body like a torpedo. Kim wasn't surprised that he too knew how to do this. She and Ron released each other and followed suit, gaining speed, but not enough to surpass Val's or catch up to him. Their opponent crossed his arms and turned his head so that he could see a clear view of them, ignoring the oncoming ground. He even waved at them with his metal hand while keeping his arms crossed.

"Aw!" Ron whined. "At this rate we'll never catch him!"

Kim grabbed him again. "Hang on!"

Using her available hand, Kim pulled a cord near her utility belt, revealing her rocket pack. She quickly shot forward much faster, and Val was getting closer by the second. But just when he was within grabbing range, he suddenly shot upward, crashing into the couple and separating the two. It took Kim less than a few seconds to regain herself, but Val was on the rise thanks to the use of a grappling cord, and Ron was already falling into the streets below. Kim had a choice to make and time wasn't on her side.

"What will you choose?" Val yelled in his ascent. "It's either me or him, Kim!"

She looked back and forth only once before she focused on Val with narrow eyes. "Oh, I don't think so."

Kim shot herself upward towards Val, but not before pulling out her grappling gun and shooting it towards Ron. The hook shot right past him, but he was close enough to grab on and that's exactly what he did. Kim began to accelerate upward, but never took her eyes off of Ron, making sure he grabbed the cord before turning her attention back to Val.

One problem: He was suddenly nowhere to be seen.

She couldn't believe it. Not knowing how he did it, she quickly pulled out her Kimmunicator. "Wade? Any idea where he ran off to?"

Wade was scrambling on his side, more amazed than Kim was since Val completely disappeared off the radar._ "I can't find him!"_

Kim was clearly frustrated. "How could he have disappeared like that?"

The two were approaching the roof already, and just as soon as Kim's eyes leveled the roof, she found her face planted on the roof tiles. Ron and Rufus were knocked not too far away, but Kim's squeeze could see a lingering shadow behind his girlfriend.

"Val!"

Kim took a moment to pull her face out from the cement tiles, only to see the said person standing behind her. "Okay, I gotta know. How did you do that?" she asked.

The shadow that covered her laughed at her question. "Well, if you must know, I came up here, waited for you to come, grabbed you and slammed you into the ground. Not hard to avoid if you kept your distance from the building," he merely answered as he turned around and started to walk away. "And by the way, Wade's equipment won't track me, Kim. I thought we had been through this several times already. And while I would love to stay and talk and have some more fun with you, there are more important matters I must attend to."

Injured, Kim tried to to get on her feet, but something was preventing her from getting up. A small cord wrapped around her leg that kept her hooked to the floor, clearly the work of Val. Angered, she tried to get out of it. "Val! What are you planning to do with those?"

"That's my own business," he quickly responded without intimidation. "It doesn't involve you."

However, his red-haired captive managed to snap the cord that kept her in place, and she went straight for him.

Val wasn't threatened by her one bit, and simply leapt onto the edge of the building. "You've become little more than a disappointment, my dear friend. We've been doing this for quite some time and I've been easily able to avoid capture from you every single time. And here I thought I would never be bored of you. How wrong I was… Kimberly Ann Possible, listen to me… you may be able to do _anything,_ but it means nothing to those who can do _everything_." He merely put two fingers to his forehead and shot them off, a goodbye gesture. _"C'est la vie…"_

Kim's hand was just inches away from him before he suddenly vanished without a trace. And just like that, it was over. He was gone, nowhere to be seen. But this wasn't the first time such a thing occurred. Losing against him wasn't just common; it had become frequent.

Angered just from acknowledging it, Kim punched the concrete ledge with everything she had, refusing to show the pain on her face. Again, she lost.

Ron was slowly approaching from behind. "Kim? Didn't that hurt?" he asked with concern in his voice.

Kim only turned around and shot a ferocious glare at him. "Thanks a lot!"

Ron was taken aback by her sudden attitude. "Hey! I didn't do anything!"

"Exactly!" she yelled at him. "Maybe if you tried something he wouldn't have gotten away!"

"And let what happened the last time happen again?" Ron instantly snapped back. "The last time I charged at him while we were on a roof, he tossed me off a building, and when Rufus went at him he threw him off, too!"

"You don't need to remind me," Kim spoke with a less angered tone, "I remember it like it was yesterday. I saved both of you and he got away, but…"

Ron sighed. "Kim, I know you hate to lose, but… can we just not go all crazy about it?" he asked softly, putting his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to calm her down.

Kim finally let out a long irritated sigh. "I'm sorry Ron, I really am. I'm just frustrated, that's all," she said with her face down. "He's been out to steal eight relics we've never even heard of or have any information on, and now he's gotten away with seven. We don't even know what's going to happen if he gets away with the last one, wherever that is."

Ron tried to be optimistic as usual. "Come on, Kim. We've been through hard times and come out of them just fine," he tried to assure her. "I know you're not happy about this, and I ain't too peachy about it either, but we'll get him. I know we will. But since we can't find anything on what those things do, how do we know it'll all end in disaster?"

Kim was still skeptical and looked away. "As much as I'd hate to say it, Ron, I'm not too sure. He's got ambitions for something, and I don't think it's any different than our other relic stealer."

"Pfft. Monkey Fist?" Ron chuckled. "Oh, Kim, that guy's always about more monkey power for himself, and he's more self-thwarting than Drakken's ever been."

* * *

"Aha! I told you, Shego!"

"Drew, shut up."

"… yes ma'am."

* * *

Kim still wasn't convinced. "I don't know. But he's not like anyone else we've fought before, either. I just don't have a good feeling about this, Ron. Everyone _I've _fought, everyone _we've_ taken on, they've fallen just like dominoes. Why can't we stop Val?"

"I don't know. You don't suppose you're getting out of sync here…?" Ron didn't realize he just said that out loud, and would have covered his mouth if Rufus hadn't already done so. Kim was quiet, resting her arms on the roof's edge and burying her face in them. She then took a gaze at the sky.

"And while I'm out of sync, he's getting better and better…" she grumbled, "I know I've said before that I wanted an actual challenge, but…" she said with a hesitant sigh, "maybe this is too much…"

* * *

The footage came to an abrupt end.

Drakken appeared puzzled yet intrigued. "So that's what she's like when someone gets away too many times… How delightful!"

Shego had other thoughts. "Hmm, not exactly recent footage if Possible and the buffoon were still together. Just who is this guy?"

Drakken scoffed. "Please, Shego, he's a teenager with a gothic appearance who has the skills of a ninja, and he's pretty smart for his age."

"Though… he acts anything but with the appearance," Shego said, referring to Ryan's image. "Most of the Goths I knew in high school were too… moopy."

A small smile formed on Drakken's lips. "I beg your pardon? Did you just say 'moopy' again?"

Shego's eyes widened. "What? Um, no. You heard nothing!" she said with a sour look on her face. "Just focus on Ryan, would you?"

Drakken was already playing with the controls, going back and forth on the footage. "Hmm… with those mad eleet skills," talking Internet lingo, "he can be quite a valuable asset."

However, he found something extra as he accidentally hit the play button instead of rewind, having too much fun with the rewind and fast-forward buttons.

* * *

Realizing nothing else could be done for the day, Kim and Ron made their way down the building through the stairs. However, the camera would soon reveal that Val hadn't disappeared. Instead, he was laying down on top of the entrance to the stairway, arms crossed behind his head.

He shook his head. "Again, she blames him," he spoke with bitter disappointment. "Just when I was starting to think that true love actually does exist between two people. Pity. I told her that things would change…"

Doing a handspring to pick himself up, he let out a depressed sigh, grabbing the artifact he stole again. It was still glowing, and it suddenly stopped.

Val put it away as he looked at the oncoming sunrise. "You're not the only one out there trying to save the world, Kimberly Ann…"

And just as he leapt off the building, he made a sudden and swift movement with his arm. The camera was knocked dead by a shuriken frames later.

* * *

It was enough to knock Drakken out of his seat. He quickly picked himself upward and tried not to be embarrassed, but that was impossible with Shego standing right next to him with an unimpressed look on her face.

"I tell you Shego, just imagine the three of us together, ruling the world!"

Shego rolled her eyes. "Um, yeah. About that. Did you already forget that just about every other villain on this planet tried to hire him?"

"Oh, right," he said without listening. "Why did he blow them off, anyway?"

Taking a seat, it took Shego some time to get all the information on it. "It doesn't say much, only that he thought it was pathetic that most of the guys relied on books and rules, bizarre appearances and tried to mimic comics and movies too much."

"Well, who doesn't?"

Shego glared at him.

"Wait, you're telling me this guy doesn't follow the rules?"

Shego started tapping her fingers.

"He can do that?"

"He's not the only one…"

Drakken snapped his fingers. "Oh, of course, you don't, either! Eh, but you're just a sidekick, and you still have your old jumpsuit from your days as-"

"Don't say it."

If the Doc hadn't turned around to gather his thoughts like the cunning genius he thought he was, he would have seen that Shego's eyes were glowing no differently than her hands. But he did feel the cold air as she got up and suddenly walked past him.

"Where are you going?" he demanded to know.

"I'm going to see what this kid is all about."

Drakken puffed. "Good luck tracking him down."

"Huh?"

Shego turned around to find Drakken back on the computer and digging further into the records GJ had on Val. There wasn't a lot of information, but enough to keep him interested. "According to this, it says that he had success in stealing that eighth relic, but he hasn't been seen since. Not by Possible or anybody!"

"And there's really no information on those relics he stole, right?" Shego asked him.

"Right… and that was six months ago."

Shego smiled. "Just around the same time Possible and the buffoon separated, right?"

Drakken had his own smile to accompany Shego's. "Indeed, Shego. Indeed."

Shego chuckled. "What a coincidence."

Drakken chuckled as well, and it wasn't long before it turned into a long villainous laugh. It came to an abrupt end as he realized something.

"Okay, Shego. Now."

And out of nowhere, Shego quickly shot one of her plasma beams toward the ceiling, causing something to come crashing down on the floor the very instant. A GJ Cypher, an unmanned flying surveillance device, now completely obliterated. Shego walked toward it and tried to observe the parts, then handed it to Drakken.

"I gotta hand it to ya, Doc, I didn't think you'd pull off the act. But you did." She sounded slightly impressed.

Drakken chuckled as he studied the drone. "So Global Justice thinks they can just sneak in a security drone and spy on us, trying to find out more information on Possible and Ryan? Hah! Take that, GJ!"

Shego tried to see what Drakken was looking for. "So you think they know?"

Finding a memory chip of the recently recorded footage, Drakken crushed it in his hand. He threw the remains behind him, which just happened to whack one of his henchmen in his happy spot. He fell no differently than a statue being tipped over.

"Oh please," Drakken said lightly. "Of course not. Whether they know or not, we still stick to the plan."

"Yeah, this 'plan'," Shego said with air quotes, "You still haven't told me what it was, other than-"

Drakken put a finger on Shego's lip. "Now, now, Shego. Believe me, when I tell you, you'll love it."

Shego tossed his finger aside, disgusted by the taste of his glove. "Blagh! Drew, this has been going on for nearly two years! Do you even have a plan?"

"Of course!"

"Then tell me what it is!"

"Patience is a _virtuuuueee_, Shego," he sung with a melody.

Shego let out a frustrated yell. For the last several months Drakken had some sort of plan to finish off Kim once and for all, but he had no documented information on it. Nothing written, nothing on the computers, it was all in his head, and he refused to tell her or anyone else.

"Okay, then at least tell me this: What we just did to throw off the spies at GJ, how much of your part was an act?"

"All of it," Drakken answered with a confident smile. "I know more about Possible and Ryan than I gave off."

"Well, yeah, I know about Possible. No duh there. But Ryan? What about him?"

"Oh, I have some plans for him as well…" Drakken snickered.

"C'mon, just tell me already!"

"Trust me, Shego, this will be a thousand times better than every other plan I've thought of."

"It better be, especially if it means not letting me take Kimmie out for good. I mean, look how she's turned out since her boyfriend left her!" she said with clenching hands. "We could cripple her, we could ruin her, we cou-"

"I know, Shego," the Doc interrupted. "But there's a reason I've told you to let her go every time she comes and stops us."

"It's not helping. She comes in, screws up your plan by pure luck, and you make sure she gets away! Why?"

"I'll spare you the details until later, at a more appropriate time. But right now, I've got a craving for-"

"Don't say it."

"But-"

"Don't."

Silence filled the room.

"Can I-?"

"Nuh uh."

Drakken grunted. "Oh, fine then."

Shego had let out a sigh of relief from where she was at. "Thank goodness, if I had to hear him say-"

"COCOA MOO!"

The sound of glass breaking could be heard.

"DREEWWWWWW!"

Green sparks could be seen from miles away, accompanied by a bitter enraged yell. Miles away, two hitchhikers had the satisfaction in overhearing the roar of Shego.

"Cocoa moo again?"

"Yup."


	2. 1: Deceiving Appearances

**Chapter 1: Deceiving Appearances**

* * *

"So Kim, what exactly is this place again?"

"I already told you, Sean, it's not on the map!"

It was late in the morning and already Kim was frustrated. She and her new sidekick were parachuting themselves onto a remote island codenamed "Area 46". It couldn't be located on any map, but thanks to some of Wade's satellite photos, it was revealed to be in the middle of the Atlantic. At first Kim thought the Señors had bought another island and was causing problems again, but instead it was the rumored site of an underground weapons facility, known as "Second Earth". It was given that name because the underground was miles wider than the island itself, which was no leaf in the pond. It sounded like another one of Drakken's lairs, if not for the reason of the hit on Kim's website.

Earlier that morning, Wade informed Kim of the hit, saying that many people working there suddenly went missing. However, the video was too dark to reveal a face, and there was nothing to prove it. There were no records of the place, other than what the person who called revealed. But Wade successfully tracked where the call originated from. So, even with their suspicions, Kim and her sidekick went in to investigate.

Kim released her parachute early as she usually did, and she was used to the sight of Sean having a hard time releasing his. This was the fifth time he had gone on a mission with her, and he got himself tangled on a tree near the shore. After helping him get out of it, Kim used the radar on her Kimmunicator to look for some kind of hidden entrance that led to the underground. Not to her amusement, the switch was under a small rock. Much less to her amusement, the entrance was in the mouth of a giant tiki statue that seemed out of place, the only one on the island.

Upon entering the underground, it was no wonder that people might have gone missing. Second Earth was a pitch black dark and desolate underground maze with endless tunnels. There was no light, so Kim reached for her flashlight, only for Sean to take it from her and go on ahead. Fortunately for her, the Kimmunicator had its own flashlight for her to use. But because they were deep underground, Wade couldn't use his satellites to help the two with where they were going, or with a map of any kind, although Kim and Sean's steps were being traced for backtracking.

"Anything, Kim?"

"No, Sean."

Sean Hanteren, Kim's new sidekick. Lately, she had been regretting giving him the position, but she really needed some help. Unfortunately, in the last four missions he's been anything but.

"Anything yet?"

"No."

Things haven't been going well for Kim ever since college started, and her separation with Ron only made matters worse. Kim couldn't exactly figure out how the last part had happened, and not only did it put her under a lot of stress, but it was also the key to causing a landslide in her reputation. Without Ron's help or support, she had a hard time against all of her usual villains and school. There wasn't a day that she didn't think about him, and it affected her performance in combat and her academic performance in college.

That was how she met Sean. He was a fellow classmate in her advanced physics class and sat next to her at the beginning of the recent fall semester. Kim was already struggling because she just couldn't focus in the class. She might have been a straight-A student back in high school, but living without Ron was like living in a different world for her, add to the fact that she was living away from home. It wasn't the only reason she was struggling in the class, though. The professor was worse than all generations of Barkin. If you didn't agree with what he said, he would fail you, no questions asked. And Kim found that she knew more than her professors at times.

For Sean, the course was cake and he offered to help Kim out. To him, it was a painful sight to see a pretty young girl like Kim depressed in class everyday, and he was aware of her separation with Ron. He offered to be Kim's study partner to help her out to take her mind off things. She was so embarrassed that it was so obvious she was struggling with everything, from saving the world to school, but she accepted the offer. She didn't mind help, though she had an odd feeling about him.

The final was announced halfway through the semester, and she had to go to his place to study. However, Sean wasn't home, leaving a note on the door saying that he went out to get a pizza. The day had been hot, but the clouds moved in after the sun had set, and it was already snowing when Kim saw the note. She wasn't going to wait a few minutes outside, not when she forgot her sweatshirt. So after actually waiting a few minutes, she swallowed her pride and snuck inside his apartment. She was in shock to see that his bedroom was filled with all kinds of weapons from guns to swords. They weren't there for decoration. But just as she checked the clip for one of his assault rifles, which was fully loaded, Sean came back. Kim was embarrassed, trying to make up an excuse why she snuck into his apartment, but he was just as embarrassed with trying to explain why his apartment was filled with loaded guns and sharpened swords.

Over pizza, Sean explained that he was actually a huge fan of Kim's work, which explained the posters of various teen heroes around the apartment. Most were of lesser-known heroes, some who turned bad, but Kim was familiar with all of them and their work. Sean successfully convinced Kim that he wanted to get into the business himself, after showing her a video of some of her best battles caught on tape. After the two had studied for class, he told Kim that he knew of her desperate need of help since Ron left. He said he really wanted to help her out, and after some thought, Kim accepted, but warned him that this was only temporary.

"Anything?"

"No."

Kim thought it might have been a good idea at first, but Sean couldn't do anything other than operate a weapon. He was academically skilled, but he lacked everything else needed for survival. He was serious in school, but on missions he revealed his immature side which Kim quickly disliked. Speaking of dislikes, Sean didn't get along with Wade, especially in telling Kim's 13-year old operator that he needed to get a life and look for some girls. Wade didn't take to this so-called advice well. He couldn't be happier knowing that Kim's partnership with Sean was anything but permanent.

"Kim?"

"Yeah?" she asked with an annoyed tone.

"Be right back. Pee break."

Kim cleared her throat. "Thanks for the information, Sean!" she sarcastically cried as she let out a sigh. "Gross."

Sean ran off into the darkness, leaving Kim all alone. He might have been a pretty boy, tall, dark and handsome, but Kim had no interest in him whatsoever. Just as the thought crossed her mind, the Kimmunicator started beeping. Since it was already in her hand, she answered it quickly, but there was nothing but static on the screen. It was like a TV channel with no signal.

"Wade, your signal's bad."

"_Kim, be careful."_

It wasn't Wade's voice. It's the voice of someone much older.

"Careful of what? Who are you?"

"_Never mind about that. Listen, be weary of Sean. He isn't who you think he is."_

"That might actually be a good thing considering how he's been on missions lately."

The unfamiliar sighed. _"Kim, it's a trap. There are no missing people down here."_

"What? How do you know this? Tell me who you are, at least."

"_Believe me, you'd rather not know."_

"No, I'm serious."

"_Just heed my advice. Watch yourself."_

The caller hung up. Kim couldn't help but think that he or she was in bad need of something to clear their throat. The word doesn't come as a surprise, though, as the thought of this place being a trap had come to mind some time back. Kim decided to call Wade about this, and it was much more noticeable that the signal is much better.

"Wade? I just-"

"_I know. I heard."_ he answered. _"The call's coming from right where you're at, but I can't pinpoint the exact location."_

"Do you think he or she might be right?"

"_Don't know. Still, keep an eye out. I've got a bad feeling about this."_

"You and me both."

In a place like this, how can you not get a creepy feeling? If not for the flashlight on the Kimmunicator, Kim would have been lost. Suddenly, she heard the sound of running coming from nearby, accompanied by a fly zipping.

It was Sean. "Hey, sorry about that… What's wrong?"

"N… nothing." she answered.

He didn't even bother to listen, walking past her and waving the flashlight around trying to be cool, only to drop it.

* * *

An hour passed with no news, as Kim looked to one direction and Sean looked in the other.

"Sean, I could use more light."

No answer.

"Sean?"

Kim turned around expecting Sean to be there, only that he wasn't. Before she could get frustrated, assuming he got lost or went ahead, the flashlight on her Kimmunicator suddenly died. This only happens for one of two reasons: The batteries die, which never happens ever, or two, something was interfering with the signal. Even though the Kimmunicator was heavily upgraded in both appearance and technology, it was still prone to those. Suddenly, the light came on, but it flickered. She noticed another light approaching from her left.

"Kim!" It was Sean. "Kim? Gee, I thought I lost you. Why did you go ahead?"

"I didn't. I told you to stay behind me and focus the light behind me."

Sean just shrugged his shoulders. He didn't care. He was a nice guy in college, but on a lot of missions lately he had been nothing but a jerk. Before Kim was ready to tell him this, his light focused on something that was white.

"Found something!" he yelled. He pointed his light on what appeared to be a transport train that led further underground.

Kim couldn't believe it. It was right next to her and she didn't even see it. She didn't know how she missed it.

"I don't think it's a good idea that we go-"

"We're going in," she said.

"Okay, great!" Sean suddenly said in a cheerful manner. Expecting a smile, he instead received a baffled, skeptical and annoyed look from Kim, noting his sudden change in opinion.

Without saying a word, Kim made her way inside the abandoned train and found the controls. The power unit was in the same area, and she restored power to it using the Kimmunicator. Finally, the two were in a place of light and had no further need for flashlights. Kim, familiar with operating trains, started it up and let it head toward its destination. It made several rusty noises as it started up, as if it hadn't been used in decades. She relaxed herself in the operator's seat, and Sean made himself comfortable behind her. The ride was a long one, without a change in scenery for the next half hour.

Kim quickly grew suspicious as she sensed Sean attempting to put a hand on her shoulder. She quickly shoved it away before it even touched her.

"Not now."

He was quiet, and to her that was a bad thing. She actually got a bit freaked out when he didn't open his big mouth.

"Kim?"

"What?"

"Why do you always reject me when I ask you on a date?"

Kim didn't even turn around to face him. "Haven't known you that long, and we've only been doing this hero thing for… not even a month," she quickly and dryly replied.

"Um, Kim, we've known each other for three."

"Not long enough for me."

"But Kim, we-"

This was probably the fifteenth time Sean's done this on a mission, and Kim couldn't take it anymore.

"Sean, how many times do I need to remind you that Ron and I never OFFICIALLY broke up in the first place? I've told you over again, Ron-"

He got up. "It's always Ron, Ron, Ron Ron RON!"

Out of nowhere, Kim found her head slammed through the glass windows of the front car before being pulled back and slammed into the floor. The car didn't shake or hit a bump, it was by force from a big hand grabbing her head. Appearing completely shocked of his actions, Sean took a few steps back until he was in the car behind him. A scared look on his face turned into an excited one.

"God, that felt good."

Suddenly, he fell back onto the steel floor from something striking his legs. Much to his surprise, Kim was far from unconscious, tripping him over as she got up.

"Sean! What on earth?" she demanded with clear fury in her voice.

Kim didn't even wait for an answer. As soon as Sean got up, she quickly charged at him and attacked him with everything she had. Unfortunately, Kim made a fatal mistake: Underestimating her opponent. Out of nowhere, Sean revealed that he was just as much as a fighter as Kim, and was able to defend himself using various CQC maneuvers, all of which knocked Kim off her feet. She refused to give up even though she was bleeding from the side of her head. All punches were shoved aside, except for one in which Sean caught her arm, tripped her, and kicked her in her back before she fell on it. Sean let out a maniacal laugh as he did this.

She wound up back at the controls. Kim was actually more in disbelief over the fact that Sean was actually better skilled in combat than he gave off, more over the fact that he just betrayed her. She went back on the offensive on Sean, but he was a fast one. She couldn't get through his defenses and wound up being knocked back into the controls yet again. Again, she wouldn't give up. Kim had a lot of training since high school graduation, but no matter how hard she tried to break through, he kicked her straight in the face and sent her back into the controls. He wanted her to keep her there.

Sean broke the vocal silence with another laugh as he reached into his utility belt.

Kim tried to get up. "Sean, why are you doing this? Who are you?"

He was quick to confess. "An assassin sent by Hard Police. I just wanted you to know this before I kill you."

Kim couldn't believe it. Hard Police was a sister company to Global Justice, and they sent an assassin after her? She tried to pick herself up to continue the fight, but not before being knocked back by an explosive that separated the two cars. Sean was on one, leaving Kim on the one with the controls. He had her trapped. As the debris cleared, not only did Kim find herself hurt, but Sean was too far away in the other car. It was too much for a jump. Kim tried to move but instantly felt an unbearable pain in her leg. Some kind of metal pipe flew into her leg from the explosion, letting out a painful cry as she pulled it out. Fortunately, it wasn't as deep as she thought it would be.

Sean only laughed at Kim's pain. "Oh, and to think I'm the one to finish off the legend herself! Kim! I'm going to give you one more chance: Go out with me and I'll consider sparing your life!"

Kim didn't bother to think twice. "As if! I probably would have considered if you didn't slam my head through a glass window!"

"Really?"

"NO!"

The traitor didn't take the rejection lightly, growling angrily at Kim's answer before he pulled a grenade out of his pocket. "Last chance…"

"No!"

Before Sean's fingers neared the pin, the trains had run over a large rock stuck on the rails. For Sean, it nearly knocked him off the car and the grenade out of his hand, but he was able to maintain his balance and keep the said weapon in his grip. Unfortunately for Kim, this forced her to fly against the brakes at full speed, head-first. She was barely conscious, and she knew she was losing it. Her vision and feeling was fading. She couldn't tell if she was hallucinating, but out of nowhere, she could hear footsteps as if someone was in front of her. She could see someone in a dark coat walk no less than two feet away from her. She couldn't turn her head upward to see who it was, but they weren't facing her. She could only make out the bottom of his coat and a pair of boots.

She could barely hear Sean's voice. "W… Y… You again? What are you doing here? This doesn't involve you! Stay out of this!"

She couldn't make out the voice of the person between her and Sean. "I saw her first…"

Sean quickly lost any patience he had, pulled the pin of the grenade and hurled it toward the one standing in the way. "GO TO HELL!"

Kim's vision completely blacked out, but her hearing didn't cease then. She only heard a few things before losing consciousness: The sound of metal clashing, a high-pitched scream, and an explosion.

* * *

A blinding light woke Kim up an hour later, along with the sound of her Kimmunicator beeping endlessly. As soon as Kim opened her eyes, she realized she was back on the shore of the island, but nowhere near where she originally landed. Having no idea what just happened, she reached out for the Kimmunicator, in which she also realized that her arm had been bandaged, along with every other wound on her body. Exhausted, she answered the beeping device.

"_Kim? Kim? Are you okay?"_

Her head dropped back into the sand. "I've been better…"

"_Kim, I'm so sorry. I just found a deleted blog entry on Sean's myspace saying… well, now we know."_

"I don't know how I missed it… Darn it… I'm sorry, Wade… I should've listened to you guys from day one…"

"_Kim, never mind that, you're not out of trouble yet."_

Kim let out an exasperated sigh. "Uh oh. Spill…"

"_Sean called for backup about the time you got onto the train. Reinforcements are on their way to finish his job. You've gotta get off that island, pronto."_

She still didn't know what happened or what was really going on, but she took Wade's word for it and slowly got onto her feet, despite irreparable sharp pains all over her body. She noticed upon further inspection of her bandages that they were all applied with care. They all had an odd smell coming from them that was neither disgusting nor pleasant. Kim was definitely going to hit the showers when she got back.

Then she remembered what she saw last on the train.

"Wade, someone just saved me from that freak. By any chance was it-"

"_Ron? Sorry Kim, it wasn't. You won't believe this, but-"_

"You found something on him?"

Wade sighed_. "Negative… Never mind. Kim, the reinforcements are coming in from the east near Africa. In case you missed it, there's a civilized island a few hundred miles west of here. You should be able to get there with your rocket pack, and I've already got a plane to Upperton waiting for you there."_

"Thanks Wade," Kim let out a sigh of relief, "I probably don't say this much anymore, but I really appreciate it."

Wade smiled, _"Just doin' what I always have been."_

He cut the communication, allowing Kim to slowly get up and take out her rocket pack. She popped her neck and checked her bandages before taking off.

Meanwhile, a few feet away on the island, someone in the shadows leaned against a tree. He was attending to his own injuries, eavesdropping on the conversation between Kim and Wade. He didn't appear surprised or amused to any of what he had just heard. If anything, it sounded like he expected everything word for word.

"I knew Hanteren was bad news… Heh… So sister companies of GJ's betrayed her… can't say I'm surprised of the turn of events…" He sighed as he tightened a bandage. "I told her this was bound to happen… but something isn't right about this…"

Pieces of bloody shrapnel were tossed aside as he placed bandages all over his body, taking all kinds of first-aid equipment out of his nearby coat. He finished, stretching his arms out, one arm popping, the other making all kinds of mechanical sounds. The island froze in silence after he was done.

"And here comes the cavalry."

Right on cue, the wind had picked up and the roars of helicopters could be heard approaching. He quickly picked up his equipment and hid himself between several bushes. He pulled out a pair of enhanced binoculars to get a better visual and to shield his eyes from the oncoming sandstorm from the helicopter blades, which came to a full stop about five minutes later. Five black suits came out, all with combed-back blond hair and sunshades. After the noise came to an end, he pulled out what appeared to be a directional microphone and a headset to listen in.

"Search the area for Commander Hanteren!" one of them yelled.

One conclusion was made based on that one order alone. "All teenagers. My, the teen hero and villain scene is expanding, isn't it?" It was the pitch of the voice that gave it away.

The stranger then realized all of them were running toward a particular area, and turned his focus there. They had found somebody, who was holding his right arm and limping from both legs. He was breathing heavily and painted red in various places on his body. None of his wounds had been attended to, but based on the way he walked, it was clear that miraculously he didn't suffer any fractured bones of any kind.

"Commander Hanteren! We got your message an-"

A loud slap was heard throughout the small island as Sean knocked one of the black suits down and spat on him.

"You IDIOTS! You're all late! She got away!"

"Sir, how is that po-"

He slapped another one down before letting out an enraged yell. "_He_ interfered! That sonovab- sonov- Legion interfered! I had her right where I wanted her, and he interfered! He ruined everything!"

The overhearing stranger, this 'Legion', rolled his eyes with a smug look on his face. "You're welcome."

Sean growled more as he tried to stand up straight. He was pulling several pieces of shrapnel out of his arms and legs, all with painful grunts as the black suits went back into the helicopter and pulled out all kinds of first-aid equipment.

"He's no assassin…" the eavesdropper told himself, "and I don't think he's in on official orders…"

After Sean was ambushed and bandaged by his men, he got up. He looked to the air, noticing a smell. He sniffed and sucked in the air hard and loud. The eavesdropper in turn also sniffed for any kind of scent, and at the same time both found the source. It was a faint smoke trail. Sean appeared somewhat confused at the curve of the trail, knowing that smoke usually goes straight upward, and the area was anything but windy. He pulled out a cigarette and lit it, and he not only sucked in the smoke from the cigarette, but the smoke from the trail.

The eavesdropper seemed somewhat disturbed with what he saw.

"It's from Kim's rocket pack." Sean confirmed.

The eavesdropper rolled his eyes. You didn't have to throw away five years of your life to figure that out.

Sean breathed in more smoke, appearing to be in thought. "Kim…"

One of the black suits approached him from behind. "Uh, sir, are you okay? You don't appear bothered by the fact that you're no closer to the reward money…"

Sean didn't respond, smoking his cigarette until there was no flavor. He then put it out on his shirt, revealing torn and busted body armor underneath it.

"I don't care about the reward money, Lest. No woman on earth has ever said no to Sean Hanteren. No girl says no to me… NO ONE!"

All of the suits took a few steps back by their leader's rage.

"Ready the helicopter!" Sean commanded.

"Sir, what next?"

"She already knows who I am and what my intentions are. It's best we don't make our move immediately. We'll return to HQ and report for now… for now…"

"But sir…" He stopped when he noticed Sean was about to backhand him. "Right away."

Ten minutes passed before the helicopter departed from the island, heading in another direction from Kim's smoke trail, which completely disappeared. The eavesdropper appeared to keep his ground, then walked toward the shore. He hid his jacket in some kind of backpack as he pulled out some scuba equipment and put it on.

"This should be more fun than I thought it would be…"

With that, he dove into the ocean water. Minutes later, a plane took off for Upperton.


	3. 2: The Pain Known as Reality

**Chapter 2: The Pain Known as Reality**

_Yikes, we hit an upload glitch on the prologue! That's fixed. Thanks for the words, guys! Yeah, I know there's going to be a lot, a lot, a lot of questions throughout the entire story, so send them my way! Any and all. I've got things planned out, but I want to make sure I don't miss a thing. Fortunately, you'll get some answers in this chapter, but unfortunately you'll wind up with more questions, too! We'll also be going back and forth in time a lot throughout, because there's been a _lot _of things that happened between this story and the last._

_Warning: This entire chapter is pretty much angst.  
_  
**

* * *

**

Back on the plane, Kim was checking all of her wounds, but it wasn't where her mind was. She was upset at herself because even with all the signs available, she wasn't able to see that Sean was an enemy from day one. She didn't know why it didn't hit her when she snuck into his apartment. Unlike Erik, who she thought she stopped thinking about months ago, it wasn't because she was overwhelmed by his looks or smooth personality. Identical, but ever since Ron, she hadn't been attracted to those types of guys at all. Sean was being such a jerk lately it was no wonder he was some assassin sent to kill her. The truth was that Sean was the second partner Kim had after the separation. The first one had also tried to kill her.

This was quick to put her under depression again, which she had been under for quite some time, dwelling on the thought that she was never going to find a sidekick again. Kim thought she'd be able to handle things like she could in high school; keeping her cool, able to handle anything without too much stress, no drama, no problems. And some things didn't change. She couldn't be alone and hated the thought of it. Life felt empty when she was lonely. One would assume the college life would have changed that, but Kim couldn't make friends in college like she could in high school.

The reality of it was that Kim didn't have any friends in college. She was an extremely lonely person.

She attended Upperton University only because Upperton Community College was close by, and she wouldn't have to travel far to see Ron. Unfortunately life takes us in directions we fail to anticipate or control. Now that Ron was gone, a lot of people tried to help Kim become a new person. Unfortunately, it involved selling out her beliefs and everything she stood for. Kim attended only a few parties in high school, but those were just to hang out with Monique or to check out Josh's band when she crushed on him. They were just social gatherings. Kim wasn't a party girl, and it wasn't the person she wanted to become. She wanted to become her own person and not someone else's puppet, and people looked down on her for this belief alone, convinced she wasn't cool or fun. It didn't stop some guys trying to woo her, unfortunately.

It wasn't that people weren't interested in Kim; they downright disliked her. The reason was because a long time ago, there was a drug bust among certain party-goers, and a few drinks made some teens go into an-all out fight. The teens ranged from sports athletes to the honor roll, and it wasn't long before all kinds of people got involved and a huge riot broke out that spread outside the campus. Stores were broken into, looting was wild, random people were taken off the streets and beaten, cars were rolled over or put on fire, all hell broke loose. The police needed help as their efforts to cease the violence went slow. Kim offered her help, nothing personal against any of the students, but she didn't want people getting hurt, and it was already a bit late for that, even though she attended to most of the injured, all policemen. She was armed with various flash bombs, one in particular that would knock anyone out if they looked into the flash, and it proved to be more helpful than tear gas or rubber bullets, as it was harmless and took rioters down by large numbers. More than half the campus was involved and arrested for taking part in it. Kim didn't want to go around telling everyone on the campus she was involved, but later when the police made their public announcements, they all thanked the world-famous Kim Possible for her help. It was on during an episode of Pals, and when everyone found out that Kim was involved, they downright hated her. Others thought Kim shouldn't have interfered in business that wasn't hers, her defense in taking part of it was snobbish, or she took part in it only because she wanted to look good for the cameras. They didn't blame themselves for their actions, they all blamed her. To just about everyone else, they didn't like a celebrity walking around the same campus; a pretty and tough girl who always tried to do the right thing, and was adamant on staying that way. A lot of people thought that Kim thought she was too good for them, even though they never talked to her.

Kim never apologized for the incident, only saying she was sorry that they all wound up in jail. If she said anymore she would have looked like a snob to them, but they already saw her as such. She wouldn't take responsibility for their actions. Upperton was a bad place, and she realized that her rival Valia Ryan wasn't exaggerating when he told her about how bad substance abuse was in the area. Oddly enough the community college where Ron attended had little to none of it. In the university, everyone wanted attention, and those who didn't never opened their doors.

Not everyone hated and avoided her. Sometimes when Kim ate at the cafeteria, some random people would sit at her table. Some would ask her how life is out of curiosity almost as if they hadn't heard of her, and others would just thank her for trying to make the place better. Unfortunately, Kim usually never saw them again. Upperton U. was pretty huge.

There was one incident she remembered, however.

* * *

Kim had grabbed her lunch, which consisted of a cheeseburger, tortilla chips (the sign said nachos but there was no cheese), and chips. A small lunch, Kim ate alone at the tables, looking only at her food as everyone in the cafeteria glared at her. Kim knew that if she made eye contact there would have been trouble, but people thought by ignoring them Kim made herself out to be a snob. She couldn't win. But she was able to eat her meal without a problem, until some football player purposely knocked his tray into Kim's head as he walked past her. 

She sighed and got up, putting the tray away and making her way back into her room. However, on the way over, she turned the corner too fast and ran into a boy. It was done with enough force that sent his plate of pizza and carton of milk in the air. Kim gasped when she noticed it and tried to grab them before they hit the ground. However, she realized she had her hands on his, as he also grabbed the plate and milk before they hit the ground.

"I am so sorry about that!"

"Don't worry about it," the boy humbly replied as he picked up his tray. "Hey, you're Kim Possible, aren't you?"

Kim hung her head. "Who wants to know?"

The boy sighed as he put his tray on the nearby counter. "Life hasn't been good to you lately, huh?"

Kim finally looked into his eyes. He was about as tall as she was, a tad bit taller, with blonde hair and blue eyes. He had on usual winter wear; jeans and a red hoodie. He had a rather calm posture, leaning back on the wall with his legs crossed and with his left hand in his pocket.

"No, not really," she answered.

"Wanna talk about it?" he offered, nodding his head towards the tables.

"I'm taken," Kim quickly answered.

The boy burst out laughing. "Did I come off like that? I'm so sorry, I didn't mean it that way."

Kim looked embarrassed. "No, I'm the one who's sorry. It's just that a lot of guys have been hitting on me so much, and I haven't broken up with my boyfriend."

"I'm sorry to hear that." He then chuckled. "We say sorry a lot, don't we?"

Kim let out a weak chuckle. "I suppose so."

Kim and the boy, Mat, walked towards one of the tables. He ate, asking Kim about her, entirely out of curiosity. He had heard of the riot, one of the few students who wasn't involved on the bad end. He told Kim not to worry about things, and since everyone in Upperton U. was a simpleton, not to listen to them. Kim wasn't sure what to make of his advice, but then she remembered she had to do her laundry. She thanked him for the talk, but it was the first time she spoke with someone there who had a brain in his skull.

Kim couldn't help but look back into the cafeteria as Mat went to get another slice of pizza, leaving his tray and drink on the table. However, three cheerleaders went to his table and took his seat. One of them grabbed his tray and put it at another table. When Mat turned around, though, Kim noticed that his happy go lucky face quickly went sour. He went and picked up his tray, then confronted the girls.

"Excuse me, I was sitting here."

The girls didn't listen, talking amongst themselves. Mat had to slam his right fist into the table to get their attention.

"I was sitting here."

"So?" One of the girls said. "Wait, you want to sit next to us? Gross!" Suddenly, all of the girls lifted their trays and got up.

Mat put his tray down, but asked the question. "What the hell was that about?"

"We're not sitting next to the new guy."

"You think we'd hang out with someone like you? Guess again."

"You're not cool."

Kim had seen this scenario once before in this school. A new girl came into the cafeteria, asking if she could sit where some of the other girls were, and they all got up and walked away. Kim sat next to her and tried to talk, but the girl didn't say much. But this was different and she knew things were going to get ugly.

"I get it," Mat said. "You think you're too cool for me."

"Well, duh."

Mat started laughing to himself, then looked at the girls. "Oh please. You want to hear something awesome?"

"What would you know?"

"I'm not exactly as I appear to be," he answered as he twitched his eyes. "C'mon, you know you want to hear it."

Finally, the girls gave in, all putting their ears together as Mat was going to whisper something in their ear. Instead, he grabbed them all by the hair and slammed their heads into the table. They all flew back, and Mat even threw their food on them. Kim simply gasped.

"You're all a bunch of superficial losers!" he yelled. "Heaven help me, I should beat the crap out of all of you for being so narrow-minded! 'You're not cool!' Grow the hell up!"

Before Kim could get back inside, Mat walked out one of the other exits, and she couldn't catch up to him. He was the only person who treated her nicely around the campus, except Sean, and suddenly turned into a different person. As much as Kim hated to say it, she had seen these girls before and he gave them exactly what they deserved.

After that, however, she never saw him again. Out of all the people she met in Upperton U., the one person who engaged into a deep conversation with her was the one who left.

* * *

Kim was never used to loneliness, and when she heard others having fun or talking about things she was interested in, the thought that those people would kick her out of the room wasn't a pleasant one. She hoped that she would get over something like this since high school, but these people made Bonnie Rockwaller seem like the girl who wanted everyone to be her friend. She refused to sell herself out to please them, but at the same time she wish she had at least someone in person to talk to. And she didn't. Ron was gone, Monique attended another school in another state and was pounded with more work than Kim, she lost touch with the former Middleton squad, not that Kim was as close with them as she thought she was. There were also two others, her mom and another colleague in the hero biz, but they too were often busy. 

That was Kim's social life in the area, and due to some circumstances she was unable to join any kind of extracurricular activity, even though her classes kept her extremely busy. It didn't help that most of her instructors and professors were egotistical to the core, and she often wondered how they got the job in the first place. Either college interfered with hero work, or hero work interfered with college. It was more difficult to balance than high school.

The fact was, Kim's site had been getting a lot less hits than her high school days. Her social life, her schoolwork and stress really interfered with her hero work.

When college first started in her freshman year, Kim and Ron shared an apartment together. Things were supposed to go well, with Kim getting a job at Club Banana while Ron was guaranteed a job at any Bueno Nacho he wanted for saving the big boss' life. But things haven't gone well. After Ron left, things became too lonely for Kim and she refused to accept everyone else's help with paying the rent. She didn't want money for her hero work, even though people donated enough to put her and generations of Possibles through college. She told herself she could do it through her own pocket, but she couldn't. Finally, she chose to move out and live in the dorms. Being in the apartment was a constant reminder of Ron.

She thought being lonely was bad, but this place just took the cake. Other than the riot incident ruining her social life, every single guy would hit on Kim and most tried to touch her, and it quickly got to the point where she had to beat some of them down. Kim didn't enjoy it one bit, but they all thought it was funny when they scared her. After that, most would play pranks on her like putting gum on the bottom of the doorknob or even in the keyhole. Her guilt ceased when her mom told her they deserved the beat downs, when her husband wasn't overhearing anyway, but that was the least of her dorm troubles. Despite the riot incident, Kim often said hi to anyone passing by, left her door open, but no one showed any interest unless they liked what they saw. She also couldn't study with all the noise, and she went from dorm to dorm with the same results. She couldn't even sleep well because of it, and that definitely interfered in schoolwork and life.

She also got into a lot of heated arguments with her professors, mostly on the professor's part. All Kim was trying to do was correct them on information, but they hated to be corrected. They would tell you that the moon was pink, and if you said otherwise then they'd start a scene. Kim was often threatened with failure, and like before, she sometimes had to swallow her pride and get that A. She knew a lot more than they did due to traveling the world and working with some of the most brilliant minds, as well as being the daughter of one, but they were too high on their horse to even think that perhaps they were wrong. And those who did admit that they were wrong didn't care about their work. The paycheck was all that mattered.

The best part about life at Upperton U.? Kim was stuck with a roommate she couldn't stand. The girl always had boys over who often hit on Kim, and when she tried to isolate herself from them to study, to listen to music, or to download information into her Kimmunicator, they said she was uptight and no fun. The girl also partied a lot, which meant she came back at three in the morning, and the girl had the nerve to complain about Kim typing anything at eight at night. No matter how important it was, she complained that Kim was being noisy.

The reason she accepted this recent mission was because she was finally on Winter Break, sort of. Schoolwork was eating up much more time than she thought. Sure, Kim knew the information in the books before reading for assignments, but she made the mistake of skipping a chapter, only to be tested on it. She didn't understand the question, so she was convinced she didn't know as much as she did.

Kim thought back to the fight on the train. Even though Sean convinced himself that the two did a lot together that they should've been dating, they didn't. It consisted of study sessions and a few missions. It was no surprise that he was attracted to her, but he wasn't Kim's type.

As she told him before, she never officially broke things up with Ron.

There was hardly a time when Kim didn't think about it, but the truth was, she _was_ considering breaking off the relationship between Ron and her. Ever since they got together at the prom almost two years ago, Ron started changing into a different person. At first, she thought he was growing up and becoming a man, one she couldn't help but be attracted to. Ron started to realize a lot of things with first love, and he did change himself to impress Kim and didn't want her to be constantly embarrassed by him. All this combined, Kim thought she found a gold mine with a bad boy hottie, but Ron didn't stop changing as the months progressed. He became skilled, more mature, but most noticeably, he took her off her feet with several romantic surprises.

"Who knew the buffoon was a natural?"

However, sometime in April, right after Val had gotten away with an artifact he found in Go City, Ron started to grow overly confident in missions, and it wasn't long before he became arrogant, big-headed and even aggressive in his behavior. In less than two months, he changed into a _completely_ different person. It was because he was suddenly growing more skilled in monkey kung fu and the fact that he was dating a girl like Kim. He would boast about it to people, other couples, and would show no mercy to his enemies. But he was anything but compassionate to Kim, and a lot of times he was downright disrespectful.

Kim told herself at first that she became attracted to him because of his new confidence, but he was no longer the romantic goofball he was when they first started out, which Kim realized she loved all along. It got to the point where he often messed up the missions, running carelessly into danger and causing more trouble than needed. Kim often had to pull him off of henchmen because they were already knocked out. He had changed, and even when he tried to get intimate or romantic, which was anything but, something just didn't feel right. His timing couldn't be worse anywhere else; Kim's job at Club Banana, schoolwork, and he even tried to kiss her in the middle of missions. As usual, the villain got away, but this time, it was irritating that he refused to acknowledge his mistakes. Back then Ron would apologize and blame himself, but lately he refused to. He was no longer the same person Kim grew up with and fell for.

Kim put up with this until June of the same year, in the summer when tryouts for cheerleading and extracurricular activities opened. The problem was, Kim suffered a grave injury that allowed Val to succeed in his quest for the eight artifacts. Because of the way Ron handled the situation after Kim recovered, she told herself she was going to talk to him about the relationship. It was getting that bad. Not only that, but she was also extremely worried about him and the person he was becoming. She waited until Ron got home from work that night, complaining and angry as he had been for months. Sucking up her breath, Kim grabbed Ron by his shoulders after he whined and complained about his day, yelling most of the time.

"Ron… we need to talk."

Realizing what those four words meant, he completely lost it. Snapped. He threw Kim's arms off, muttered a ton of angered gibberish, grabbed all his stuff which was already in a travel bag, including his pet, and ran out the door. Sometimes Ron needed some alone time and the two needed their space, which happened more often throughout the relationship than Kim would've liked to think.

However, six months had passed, and neither Ron nor Rufus had been seen or heard from since. Even with Wade's technology, they weren't able to track him down, and Kim refused to believe that he was dead. All of her usual villains didn't act suspiciously, most of which didn't even notice he was gone.

Yet, after Val had contacted Kim shortly after he was successful in getting the eighth relic, he too disappeared.

It was enough to strike her as suspicious.

"Miss Possible, the plane is coming to a landing."

Kim realized she had fallen asleep.

* * *

Kim was never sure what to expect when she grabbed the keys to her dorm room. She usually feared the worst, and this time she hoped she didn't have to clean the bottles off the floor and clean the carpet. Even though Kim reported that her roommate drank, as it was against the rules to have drinks or drugs in the room, not much was done about it. Just a slap on the wrist, and since Kim was the only person to report it, she got a load of S and F-bombs for it from her roommate. 

Instead, Rebecca's side of the room was completely empty. Unfortunately, she took all the food, all of which was Kim's. Kim then remembered that today was her roommate's last day. She had one more to go, even though she turned her final paper in early and didn't need to go to class, but she was going to take the time to relax. That's what she told herself at least. She could still hear all of the noise of music and games, which wasn't allowed due to finals. She saw that some guys were still wandering around, and Kim closed her door. She didn't want them to throw open jars of jelly into her room again. To them, the sound of Kim crying in fear, pain or from annoyance was a hoot.

Still relieved that her roommate was gone, Kim crashed on her bed. No more Rebecca, no more classes, and the sounds of people leaving outside was music to her ears. She remembered how psyched she was when she started school, only to be utterly disappointed when she started classes. She had high expectations due to all she heard about it, and it was nothing but a social ground for junkies and egomaniacal professors wanting to flex their ego even more.

Kim was actually afraid of the semester coming to an end, and for one reason. She was afraid to tell her parents that she wanted to transfer to another school, and the only reason she stuck around Upperton was just in case Ron ever came back. That was really the reason she stayed in her room today instead of packing her things and driving home, but then again the interstate was crowded. Her parents hoped she would stay here with all they heard, but it just didn't feel like the right place to Kim.

Opening her eyes once crashing on her bed, the first thing she saw was an old picture of her and Ron on prom night. It was the same picture that her mom took when the two thought they had their privacy and made out in front of Kim's front door. It was beyond embarrassing at first, but the night was just too memorable. The picture was small compared to the frame, so Kim had actually put in a lot more pictures creating some kind of collage. Some pictures were from the days of high school, and some were taken after.

It almost made her want to cry, not only because she missed him so much but also because she really didn't know if he was still alive. It took her a couple of minutes to dismiss that thought by telling herself over and over that he was. If he was, someone would have found a body and reported it somewhere, and she had Wade and his colleagues check any and every single database in the world for any recent entries with his name in it. The most recent one was dated only a day before he ran away.

But then Kim saw what was next to it – the photo collection CD that she gave to Ron on Christmas a couple of years back. It was the one thing he had left behind when he ran out the door. Kim forgot it was there, collecting all kinds of dust but fortunately no drink spills from Rebecca's side of the room. She blew off the dust and looked at the cover. It was a picture she took with Ron some time back. It was a cute picture to her. She was hugging Ron from behind with a huge smile on her face, but Ron looked awkward.

Back then Kim told herself it was the perfect picture, but looking back, it wasn't. The reason she appeared so happy in the picture was because of the date she had with Josh two nights before, and Ron had eaten too many packets of Diablo sauce with his naco. But then again, Kim wasn't only happy because of the date, she was also grateful that Ron still helped. Kim loved the picture so much, and at the time she started to create the album, a few months before Christmas, she though it was the perfect picture. But looking at it again, she remembered her old life in Middleton. Back then things were so nice and perfect.

Right there in her room, she completely lost it and burst into tears. She grabbed the album, held it close and curled into a ball. She just wanted to go to sleep. But one of the things Kim hated the most was crying. She let herself go for some time before getting herself back together. She let out a sigh as she put the album on her bed, and the corner of her eye caught the mirror. She looked terrible, almost forgetting about the bandages and wounds. She didn't want to walk outside and have people looking at her, so she decided to hit the showers.

Because most of the floor was empty and the restroom and showers required a student ID and a keypad password, Kim didn't need to fear a lack of privacy. She wound up taking a shower that lasted a good half hour, but noticing strange green streaks coming from the bandages, she took them off. Her wounds were completely healed, sans where the pipe went through her leg. She felt relaxed more than ever when she got out, if not for some moron leaving the windows of the bathroom open. Kim rushed back to her room and wasn't seen by anyone, thankfully. Rumor had it one girl had her bathrobe taken by some of the guys in the middle of the hall.

Kim quickly locked the door, changed and crashed onto the bed, grabbing the album and the prom photo. She sighed and hugged it tightly, tired and about to fall asleep. But from the corner of her eye, she noticed that something was blinking. Her phone, which was right next to where the picture was. She had a message on her answering machine. Too tired or lazy to get up, she leaned as much as she could to hit the Play button, only to hit it and fall off the bed.

"_You have one message. Message One – Kim! Hey, it's me, Jen! Listen, uh, when you get back from your mission or class, I'm not sure where you're at… Call. It's very important, so call back ASAP. So I guess I'll hear from you later. Bye!"_

Bay City's resident vigilante, Jen Ferno, another ally of Kim's. It had been over a year and a half since they actually worked together in combat, but Jen was one of the few allies who kept in close touch the entire time. She too had a lot of changes in her life, now being an official representative of Bueno Nacho since her father Benjamin was still CEO, but still the sharp shooting teen heroine that Kim knew her by. It would take her twenty years for her hacking skills to rival Wade's, but she managed to get most of the information she needed, most of which she passed onto Kim to keep her current. That was really all she had in common with Kim, unlike Monique when it came to fashion trends and every other one of Kim's interests. But sometimes Jen would call Kim simply to let her vent, because she knew how her social life was. She kept in touch frequently and hoped she helped Kim from going insane in some way or form because of Ron's disappearance, even though Kim usually vented to her mom instead. But Jen understood stress involving hero work, unlike Monique or Kim's mom.

Kim figured that if it was important, she would return the call. It wasn't like Jen would say something was urgent when it wasn't, she was an honest type, usually too much for her own good. Kim pulled out her cell phone and looked up Jen's name on it. The whole dial-one-number-before-calling and long distance cards was too much of a hassle for her.

It took three rings for Jen to answer. _"Hello?"_

"Hey Jen, it's Kim. Got the message."

"_Oh great, I- Did you just wake up? You sound terrible."_

"Not a good day."

"_Wanna talk about it?" _Jen was able to hear Kim's depression, and she often asked this question when she called.

"This time, sure. If you don't mind."

"_No, no no no no… Go ahead. I'm here for ya, you know that."_

"Okay. Well, Sean and I went to some island called 'Area 46' because we got a hit about some missing people there."

"_Area 46?"_

"Some remote island in the middle of the Atlantic."

Jen sounded surprised._ "I have actually never heard of it."_

"Neither have I. Well, it was a trap. Like Logan, he also tried to kill me."

Jen sighed. _"Good to know that he didn't. I'm sorry to hear that Kim, but-"_

"I know, you told me he wasn't good news… why didn't I listen?"

"_Well, look at it this way, at least you didn't start dating him. At least I hope you didn't."_

"No, of course not. So not my type, but… all the signs were there and I totally missed it."

"_Kim, you're stressed out. I mean, you've got bad guys to stop, you've got classes and finals-"_

Kim sighed. "I know, Jen. But I can't let that stop me from doing what I do."

"_I understand, I really do, but you need to find a way to calm yourself. I just wish I knew how. We're all worried about you."_

"I know you guys are and I appreciate your concern. But what was it that you wanted to talk to me about?"

Jen sighed on her end. _"Well, Nev intercepted a communications of some group in the middle of the Atlantic-"_

"That was where Area 46 was."

"_I guess I called too late, then. I called just when we found out."_

Kim only sighed.

Jen continued, _"Kim, please don't dwell on it too much. I mean, it's almost winter break. You really need it."_

"What? Stop doing what I do and let the bad guys take over?"

"_Don't let this damage your cool, Kim. Please."_

Kim sighed loudly. "Maybe I do need a break, but there's so much I still need to do."

"_Kim, you're not the only teen hero in the world. You know Wade, Nev and I can ask for a favor and have anyone take your place as long as you need." _Jen knew that Kim couldn't be replaced by one person, but lately more teen heroes have proven themselves worthy. Still, Kim was number one in the arena.

"I know. I'll think about it."

Jen only sighed. She knew Kim wouldn't. She had been trying to convince Kim to take a vacation or some kind of break, but Kim always refused. Saving the world was more important than her own comfort, no matter how many times Jen tried to assure her that others could handle things. Jen exclusively handled her home, Bay City, and there was no need for Kim to be there.

"_Well, that was really it, then."_

"Thanks anyway, Jen," Kim sighed again, "I'm really sorry."

"_Sorry? For what?"_

"Well, for one, not listening to you guys when you all said Sean was bad road. But second, all these times you've called, I always talk about myself. It's always 'How _I'm_ doing' or 'How _I'm_ coming along', but I never ask how _you're_ doing."

"_There's not much to say, really,"_ Jen merely replied, _"Besides, it's hard for me to talk about my problems because they're nothing compared to yours."_

"I so dramatize my life now."

"_Don't be ashamed of it, Kim. Everyone does at one point, believe me."_

"You're sure?"

"_Look at the people we fight. Guys in masks, girls in weird outfits?"_

"Good point. I just think it makes me look like I demand attention."

"_Emo?"_

"I've heard that word so much and I don't even know what that means."

"_Well, anyone who really knows you that's not the case. You're not an attention hog. And if they think otherwise and frowns upon you for it, screw'em."_

"Yeah…" Kim said unconvincingly. "But really, I haven't heard how life in Bay City is. I'm not really that current."

"_Well, paperwork at BN HQ isn't that fun, but at the same time I'm getting so much experience."_

"How about you-know-who?"

"_Who? Nev? Well… I can't say it."_

"What?"

"_Okay, but you can't tell anyone."_

"Ooookay. Sure."

Anyone would have gotten a bad feeling about this if you heard so many sick and wrong stories from girls involving boys.

"_Ever since he got the operation, I've kind of been putting him through some training. But now I can say that yours truly is getting a sidekick!"_

Kim briefly covered her face. She expected worse, blaming the thoughts on her college peers and their loud gossip. "So soon? I mean, the guy had half of his internal organs stolen from him and lived entirely off of unstable homemade biomechanical technology for over a year, and now it was removed and he's completely human again."

"_The operation did take place over a year ago, so I think he's ready. Oh, he wanted me to tell you he said 'hi' and ask if you were okay."_

Kim chuckled. "Tell him I said 'hi' back, and I'm doing so so. But training? Something in my gut tells me there's more to this."

"_You've got me there. Remember I said I went to military school? He's getting the same treatment I did."_

Kim was appalled. It wasn't the exactly what she thought. "Jen!"

"_It's not like I'm torturing the guy! I'm just putting him through the exercises, that's all. And I'm not doing the whole drill sergeant yelling thing on him. I couldn't bring myself to do that."_

"Is that what he wanted?"

"_Well, he's great with a gun and can get around, and you know he's awesome at creating weapons. I just figure he might have forgotten how it was like to be fully human again. I also wanted to make sure everything in his body worked right, considering who operated… If he has the will to live and help others, I think he can take it to the next level. It's not because I want to make him more 'manly' for my own selfish purposes, if that's what you're thinking. And if you _are_ thinking that, I should drop by just to smack you upside the head."_

"I was hoping that wasn't the case, and I'm glad it's not."

"_You know my experience with so-called 'manly' men."_

Someone was knocking at Kim's door loudly. Kim figured it was just some of the guys wanting to bother her again. "Uh… Actually, I don't think I've heard that one."

"_Oh, sorry. Long story short, guy wanted to date me because he found out I was the heiress to the Bueno Nacho fortune, tried to charm me to death, then Nev found out he had bad credit history. Once I asked the guy about it over pizza, he tried to come onto me! Iin public!"_

The knocking got louder.

Kim sighed. "And to think we're not alone. So what did you do?"

"_Slammed the butt of my SOCOM into his head, slammed his face into the table before breaking the chandelier over it_," Jen simply replied. She was doing her nails, and her mind was much more focused on that.

"Sucks to be him."

"_Yup. Luckily the place was considering getting rid of it, anyway, so I wasn't sued or anything. Because there were witnesses, I got free pizza, not that I was paying for anything in the first place."_

"Free food. Lucky you. And him?"

"_I dunno." _Jen muttered,_ "Never saw him after that night. You know what? I don't even remember his name."_

The knocking wouldn't stop.

"I'm sorry, Jen. I've got someone who doesn't know when to give up. Listen, I'll call you later, okay?"

"_Okay. Take care, then."_

"Oh, before I forget, thanks a lot Jen. I really needed that."

"_Hey, no problem. That's what I'm here for. You be careful, okay? I've kind of got a bad feeling about this."_

"I will. And you too."

"_Will do. Bye."_

"Bye."

After hanging up the phone, Kim got off the floor and onto her feet.

"Go away! I'm not interested!"

The knocking only got louder. Out of frustration, Kim got up and stomped to the door, answering it. "Look, I'm not interested in you guys and-" Angered eyes instantly turned into widened ones. "Oh! Dr. Myers! I'm SO sorry, I- What are you-"

"Kimberly Ann, we need to talk."

Kim's instructor was at the door and welcomed himself into her room. She quietly closed the door as he sat on the empty mattress. Dr. Myers was Kim's Advanced Astronomy instructor, and at this point Kim really wished it were a bunch of dumb guys instead. They've never gotten along with each other one bit, and she was also pretty sure he hated her. He was rejected from the Space Center back in Middleton, and he held a grudge against everyone who worked there, especially the person who rejected him, James T. Possible, Kim's father. There was just reason for it, as the guy didn't know his stuff. Kim was pretty sure the "Dr." part was a hack job.

He presented Kim with a messy paper a half inch thick with her name on it. "Kimberly, I want to make this brief. I have a hard time grading your paper."

"Dr. Myers, I know I turned it in with a poison needle stuck where the staple should be, but I was being chased by a tribal group that day. I saved the tribe leader's daughter with a cap on, and I lost it because I ran into another tribe. I saved the daughter, but when he saw my hair he mistook me for some sort of flame demon. I had to get out of there fast."

He wasn't impressed. "Cute story, Miss Possible. But I'm not here to discuss the appearance of your paper."

"What's wrong, then?"

He leaned over to her. "I'm just going to tell you right now: You need to rewrite your entire paper or I will fail you."

Kim had an A- in the class. She couldn't believe it. "WHAT? What for?"

"It's so full of inaccurate information that I can't deliver credit."

"Dr. Myers," Kim spoke incredulously, "with all due respect, I did my research and spent hours on it. I even had my dad read it to make sure there were no problems."

His eyes burned with fire with the mention of her dad. "I don't care what your father thinks, you will either rewrite this report or you will fail!" He appeared to be changing his mind all of a sudden, and Kim didn't like the look on his face one bit. "However… if you can get me a job at the space center he works at… I may consider giving you a C."

"Blackmail? No way, it's not going to happen. You can't do this."

"Oh? But I can do THIS!"

Myers dropped Kim's paper and pulled out a knife, lunging at her with it. Kim quickly grabbed the report before it hit the ground and used it as a shield. It was so thick that the knife didn't completely penetrate it. Out of hysterical anger, Myers shoved it aside, giving himself a nasty paper cut. The deranged man didn't know how to use his weapon, and if the door wasn't closed or blocked off by him, Kim would have yelled out attempted murder. Not knowing where else to go, Kim backed up to her window.

"Mr. Myers, what do you think you're doing?"

Instead of giving Kim an answer, he charged at her with bloodshot eyes and leapt at her. Kim merely moved aside, but her attacker crashed through the window. She looked outside to see if he was okay, since he was her professor after all, but she quickly looked away as a loud crash followed immediately by a car alarm went off. It spread throughout the campus, and everyone outside turned to it. A frat boy that had too many drinks a bit too early yelled out "MURDER!" completely unaware that his car was just destroyed.

"Sorry!" Kim yelled in regards to his car. Confused and in shock, she found the Kimmunicator closer than the phone and called Wade.

"Wade, someone else tried to just kill me!"

"_Okay, Kim. Calm down and breathe!"_

Kim's breathing was a clear indicator of what happened. It wasn't the fight that scared her, but the result.

"_You only defended yourself, right?"_

"Y-Yeah."

"_Kim, don't worry, I just got satellite photos of Myers with the weapon, going in and… well, out."_

The door knocked.

"_I've got it covered, Kim. I'm sending these to Upperton authorities and college security."_

Wade cut the transmission as Kim went to answer the door, astounded to see her worried dorm mates. They're frantic, asking what happened and if she was okay, but their questions were answered when they all noticed the wind coming from the now broken window. They told Kim that they saw him come in with a knife, but didn't do anything because they were afraid he knew how to use it. Kim saw past their act; the only reason they were there was because they thought Kim did something 'cool'. The whole day was a long one, with the police coming to ask Kim for information after receiving Wade's photos. Because Myers was still holding the knife even when he was put in the ambulance, they were convinced Kim was innocent. They told her she could go home and they would handle everything. It was their way of repaying Kim for her help in the riot incident some months back.

So much for tomorrow's class. The professor almost killed himself, as Kim received word later that he had actually survived the fall. She was terrified of the thought of being somewhat responsible for his death, but that wasn't the case anymore. She decided to take the Sheriff's advice. After packing up her things and calling Jen again and telling her what happened, she called her mom.

She was coming home.


	4. 3: Qs and As… and more Qs

**Chapter 3: Questions and Answers… and more Questions**

_The chapter name says it all!_

* * *

Kim was hoping that going home was a good idea. She would be back in the place she was raised, away from a college she was starting to think she didn't belong in. However, she wasn't the only one. Because the motorcycle Nev had given Ron - who gave it to Kim because he was still used to a scooter – wasn't big enough to take a dorm room's load of equipment, her mom bought the SUV. On the way back, Kim and her mom talked a lot about what was going on.

Kim may have talked to Jen about hero business, she may have talked to Monique about the latest on fashion and trends, but she still went to her mom on advice on life. In this case, she asked her mom how she went through college. Her mom didn't go into a lot of detail about it, telling her daughter that when she didn't study, she had sports and was pretty active. However, she didn't enter college knowing what career she'd pursue, unaware of how smart and intelligent she really was. She had a better social life in college than she did in high school, and she always wanted to help people. Halfway through the four-year college she realized she wanted to be a doctor and wound up a brain surgeon. She had more problems in high school than Kim did, but had a much better college life than her daughter did.

Not to the surprise of anyone else on the planet, out of all the people worried for Kim, she was worried the most. She knew Kim wasn't doing as well as she hoped and was in a depressed state, but tried to assure her again and again that if she felt the need to go someplace else, then to go for it. She wouldn't be upset about it; she knew that was exactly what was on Kim's mind. Yet, even though it was the truth, Kim felt that going to another place was probably giving up, and because of all the brochures she got in the mail after graduation, Upperton U. was the best place to go for medicine and science, even if it was the top party school in the state. She knew her mother meant well, but she wanted to keep at it and not give up. She had already registered for next semester's classes, anyway.

Only a day after getting back, she and her mom had gone grocery shopping since the tweebs used a lot of food in the refrigerator for their rocket experiments. However, there was a man in a giant cereal box that was following her, and Kim was fully aware of it. When she finally decided to confront him, he attacked her with a samurai's sword. A man in a giant cereal box with a samurai's sword. In his attempts to kill Kim, he revealed that he was sent by Peace Order, another sister company of Global Justice. The irony in the name spoke for itself. The fight was a short one; all Kim had to do was kick him down and he couldn't get up. Security handled the rest. The interviews and interrogations following the incident were brief.

When Kim got home, Upperton authorities informed her that her mad professor, Myers, had confessed that he was a hack, sent to kill her under the orders of another sister company of GJ: Hell Cops. Three assassins in three days. Something was already wrong as it was, but Kim knew there was a lot more to this. Even though her entire family was worried about what was going on, she was going to get to the bottom of this even if it meant sacrificing her break.

Destination: Bueno Nacho. It the only entrance Kim knew of that led to Global Justice. She took careful steps in trying to find the hidden entrance, even though the door only opened when they needed her. She wasn't surprised when the door slid open before she had even set foot on it. She stepped right in.

After a ride through the tubes, much to her agony, the agent that greeted her was none other than Will Du.

"Ah. Kim Possible. Dr. Director has been expecting you."

Unfortunately, an embarrassing memory came to mind the last time they met here. Will noticed that both Kim and Ron had lipstick on their lips. He knew the answer to a question he wished he never thought of. Clearly the other two were beyond embarrassed.

"Just follow me."

Will led her into a room she hadn't seen before: Director's office. It was a huge office, mostly an empty room minus an office chair, a laptop, and a fancy desk. Director was standing in the middle, facing away. Will left the two alone, closing the door behind him. He didn't close it gently, though.

"I only wish he would learn better manners," Director started before turning around to face Kim. "I'm glad to see that you're okay."

Kim had other thoughts about it. Physically, yes, otherwise, no. But she didn't come for a therapy appointment. "Dr. Director, what's going on?"

"Follow me, please."

Kim got a worse feeling about everything. If Director went straight to the point, it couldn't be good, but then again things weren't good as they already were. There were no other doors in the room, but wasn't surprised that the huge GJ emblem on the floor opened up, revealing a trap door. Both of them fell in. When it was all over, both were in a dark room with only two dim spotlights.

"Sorry about the fall, but this is a secret room only I have access to. No one can hear us or trace us. It's just the two of us."

Yep, this was something big all right. Kim was becoming more and more skeptical about coming here, but it was better to try to get any information she could than run away.

"Doctor, I want to know what's going on. Why are sister organizations of GJ trying to kill me? First there's some jerk from Hard Police pretending to be a college student, I find out my so-called professor was part of Hell Cops, and today I was attacked by a guy in a giant cereal box who works for Peace Order! I want answers."

Director sighed. "First of all I want to apologize for everything that's been going on, but I first wish to explain why all the recent events have occurred."

"Please, explain."

"Three words, Kim: Senator Kathryn Brown."

Everything fell like a ton of bricks. Senator Kathryn Brown. Over a year ago the senator devised a plan to create a new world by destroying the current one with nuclear weapons. But before that, she would arm herself with the latest hi-tech military weapons so she would rule with an iron fist. These included the Judgments, five walking battle tanks with the strongest impenetrable armor ever created, and bio-mechs, artificial humans believed to be indestructible and could be controlled like puppets, derived from the Syntho-Drones.

However, for it to work, she needed one person to steal and deliver the weapons, and destroy the one obstacle that was guaranteed to interfere: Kim Possible. For this, the senator sent out an old enemy of Kim's that was believed to be dead: Valia Ryan. While he first fought Kim and Ron as a mere high school graduate with a hatred of human emotions and fairy tale relationships, he was smarter and tougher than the two combined. He used mind control in an attempt to make the two lovebirds kill each other, but was thwarted and defeated. For unknown reasons at the time, he told Kim and Ron how to escape the sinking and collapsing underwater lair, and chose to stay and sink with it. The two didn't understand why he had a change of heart after a fight that nearly killed them.

After he faked his death, Val was found by the senator and was ordered to not only steal the weapons, but to kill Kim and take the blame. He refused to oblige to these orders, and it cost him his entire left arm before he agreed. However, he devised his own plan to take matters into his own hands and destroy the weapons he was to retrieve and deliver. He couldn't do it himself as he was infected with nanomachines that would blow up and kill him if he did it himself or revealed that the Senator was the one behind it all. This was a personal battle, and he wanted the Senator dead.

Ryan devised his own plan to screw the senator, but he had to disguise himself as the true villain. He orchestrated a false threat that would have his puppets do the job for him. This included Team Possible, Kim, Ron, Wade and Rufus. Also involved was Jen Ferno, the daughter of Bueno Nacho's president who was nearly killed but saved by Ron, Nev Killbourne, an ally and expert in hardware who met the world-saving couple the same time they met Ryan. However, he was much more familiar with the bio-mech technology than he ever hoped, since the truth was that the technology existed inside of him, a last resort for saving his life. Lastly, Ron's old squeeze, Yori.

However, Yori originally joined Ryan in this in hopes to go into exile with Ron and live happily ever after, unconvinced that he was dating his best friend. Even if it was true, she still wanted to live a life with Ron happily ever after, even if it meant separating him from Kim. However, this would do nothing but interfere in Ryan's plan, so he erased a part or Yori's memory so she wouldn't play such a role, but sent her out to play another kind. He wanted for her to see the truth of Kim and Ron's relationship for herself, and she had been nothing but depressed the entire journey because of the couple. Yori would later remember her involvement, due to the fact that she was a mind-reader much like Ron's mystical monkey power, and after encountering Ryan who had himself disguised as a gas-mask wearing blonde called "Dive". Before she could reclaim her glory after confessing, it was too late for her. Ryan was infuriated at Yori's reasons for her betrayal, putting more blame on him, and put her in her place. Yori would later save the couple's life before realizing she needed to go on some kind of soul-searching journey. Kim hadn't heard from Yori since, but she wished her the best, even if she was slightly annoyed.

However, the one thing Val didn't fake was demanding a final fight. Kim narrowly beat him in a brutal hand-to-hand fight with no weapons or outside interference. Later to be imprisoned, he would reveal to her the truth. This was after he used her Kimmunicator to fry the nanomachines that made him a bomb if he explained the truth or tried to assault the senator. He explained the detail of his plans that that he really didn't want to do any of this, having a newfound respect for Kim. It was because she handed him a real defeat opposed to their first final fight in which he tried to kill himself afterward. Although Yori was injured and Ron was almost killed numerous times throughout the journey, he also revealed that he carefully orchestrated everything so no one would die, but pretty close. He wanted Kim to know these things, and mere words wouldn't help it, so he made her experience it. The entire time he kept his cover convincingly. He wanted revenge against the senator, and believed if he killed her he was doing the world a favor since she was the reason behind the political influence and war of ideals people had these days, all for the worse.

Kim wasn't sure if she would buy the entire story, and it didn't help that Ryan escaped his cell right in front of her, but not before handing Kim two tickets to a karaoke bar for unknown reasons. Kim and Ron were exhausted by the end of this long journey, so they used the tickets on a date. Before they left, they heard on the news that the Senator was attacked by a neurotoxin that left a permanent side effect of hysterical insanity and fear. There was no cure on earth for it. Val called Kim's home later and informed her that he was behind it, but he also thanked her for giving him the opportunity and for saving his life, and Kim didn't even know it. Ryan told her to go on and live her life, and that someday he'd repay her. But there was much more to those tickets than he gave off.

Even though the senator was confirmed to be behind this, it was given a cover story. Kim still had a hard time believing it, but when it came to finger-pointing, they knew it was him. Val. However, since he escaped on Kim's watch, people thought she might have had some involvement, especially since she had prior history with him. But those accusations were based from those who thought Kim should have lived a regular life as opposed to a 'wild' one. They convinced themselves that Kim's lifestyle would influence others and get them killed.

Was all of this because of the Senator? Why all this a year later?

"I had nothing to do with the condition she's in," Kim told Director.

"I know. The problem is, someone wants you terminated because they see you as a threat-"

"And obviously want that threat terminated," Kim guessed. "But they send justice organizations to do it? And why now?"

"I'm not sure about the timing. But as for your first question, truth moment, Kim: GJ was officially ordered to capture you dead or alive, and that includes our many sister organizations. However, I knew the truth of Brown's wrongdoings and that you were in no way involved. There's an extremely high price on your head that GJ can well benefit from, but I absolutely refuse to sell out to capture someone like you. You've helped us and so many others throughout these past few years more than any amount of money ever will. Sadly, our sister organizations don't agree. I trust you, Kim."

"Thanks," Kim replied. "I was starting to think that people forgot what I did."

"Another thing concerns me, however. We were faxed the orders from the head branch, and that was how I learned who else was ordered to find you. But Hard Police wasn't one of them."

"You're sure? Sean told me that he was sent by them as an assassin."

"Hard Police never hires or uses assassins. If that were the case you'd see assassins here, too."

This left Kim perplexed. Director pulled out a sheet of paper and handed it to Kim. It was the fax she was talking about, and it looked legit. Orders from head office declared that Kim Possible must be captured, suspected in poisoning the senator some time back. Many justice organizations were involved, but she was right, Hard Police wasn't among them.

"_However,_ since you're here, we can claim that you're in our possession, but it will take some time before you will be taken to the proper authorities," Betty finished with a wink that was really, really hard to miss. She would set up a diversion that would mislead everyone into thinking Kim was in custody. It would buy Kim some time to think of something. "However… I think I know of a way to prove your innocence…" Director told her.

Aware of the plan, Kim knew where this was going. "Find and capture the one responsible. Val himself."

When the incident came to an end, he told Kim that he wanted to start a new life after all that's happened, wishing to leave his government and high school aches behind. She really thought Val might have gone from bad to good since he was held captive the entire time in the Senator fiasco. He willingly told her everything and appeared to have become a new person.

Kim now told herself she was stupid for believing him.

He was still responsible for several crimes outside of the senator's demands in the incident, and he still hadn't done time for his first encounter with the two. Then of course there was the fight for the eight artifacts. Kim hadn't seen him since the separation, believing he might have had something to do with it.

Betty sighed. "I wish I could say we've taken Ryan off of your hands, but our past efforts haven't been successful."

"You've sent agents after him?"

"Of course. We were on it the same day the Senator was poisoned. Unfortunately, he made our top agents look like chump change throughout the months, especially in the days of The Circle of Blood."

* * *

_October to December 2005_

Val had realized that his true calling in life was to fight, and he always believed that the only reason to live was to help others and the future generations. He was the kind of person that believed that if you lived only for yourself, you were better off grabbing a paintball gun, pointing it at your crotch, and firing it. Repeatedly. But being one who hated any kind of corruption in the world, even if it was just mere thoughts, he wanted to rid the world of it, or at least rid a huge portion of it.

"I'm going to form the biggest terrorist underground in Japan."

Val hit the outskirts of Tokyo, which soon evolved into its own town. In appearance it was similar to the Bronx of New York. Because most of the 'city' lay in construction in iron, it was dubbed "Iron Hell." Perfect for the HQ. But Val kept his name quiet, and no one other than his three bodyguards saw him. Leon, Tang, and Koji. No one else outside his lair knew who the leader of the terrorists were.

Val chose the name: "Circle of Blood."

It wasn't long before some of the world's worst names became a part of it, although many on Kim's list stayed away. You didn't need to have a specific belief system, nationality or race. You just needed the urge to kill and destroy. It grew massively in weeks, consisting of the worst of the worst, those who craved on the lives of the innocent. But that wasn't all.

Okay, so the thing about Val's bodyguards being the only people who knew his identity wasn't true. Many Japanese schoolgirls wanted to join the group, and they needed approval from Val himself. With everyone else, the criminal would give the guards his resume, and they would hand it to Val. But these were all girls without criminal records and the guards didn't know how to handle them.

The girls were pleasantly surprised to see that the leader of the organization was someone who wasn't that much older than them. Many of the girls grew tired of boys who were either too gentlemanly or perverted, and they fell in love with Val's appearance. They all tried to woo him, but as pretty and cute as they were, Val saw past their act. The girls claimed they wanted wild excitement in their life. They didn't want to be held back by traditions and customs. Val found himself sickened with these girls and didn't let them in. He warned them that they were much better off living a life they hated than to pursue their selfish ambitions. They refused to accept this and continued to woo him, and it got to the point where he had to throw all of them across the room to prove how serious he was. Considering that even someone like Val hoped to fall in love again, he grew disgusted with these rather pretty and attractive young women. They were thrown out the door and told to stay away for their own good.

Word didn't spread outside Japan about the Circle of Blood until they were ready to initialize their first action. Within two months Val had everyone smuggle all kinds of illegal weapons and arms to the hideout. There was no trading involved, just theft. But these weren't simply melee weapons and guns. These were giant walking tanks that could roam on any terrain, robots with arms and legs filled with ammunition and bombs, and very big, big weapons. Val was going to wage a war on mankind and against world rulers, but they didn't even know who he was, what he looked like, or what he truly stood for. Orders were orders and it was left at that.

He finally revealed himself when he went public, interrupting television feeds around the world. He complained about the state the world was going in, what the Circle of Blood was and who was in it.

However, he made his announcement around Christmas. Kim and Ron were back at her parents' house, and Ron was infuriated. Snowman Hank came back on the air after Drakken started a petition that spread throughout the world. Of course, Ron was the first to sign it. It had finally come back on the air, just to be interrupted by a shady figure with eyes that were almost glowing. Meanwhile, Kim was preparing the mistletoe in her room when this occurred… err, mistletoe**_s_**. As in four. Teen. Alerted by Ron's enraged yell, she listened in. They didn't listen to the entire thing, packing their equipment and getting ready to leave. Just as they were about to head out the door, Val dropped the bombshell of the season.

"Actually, everything I just told you was bull."

He then explained that he gathered up the worst criminal minds in the underworld and had them steal all kinds of weapons that could quickly destroy the world. While he told his followers that they were to wage a war against the world, it wasn't why he created it. The truth was, he gathered all of the criminals in one place so he could destroy them using the very weapons they stole.

The whole thing was a trap for everyone who joined.

Val not only gave the police and Wade the coordinates to the place, but he also disbanded the organization. Kim and Ron still ran out the door and went straight to the airport, but during their flight, everyone involved in the Circle had their own plans separate from their leader. They refused to be taken in by the police and revolted against the one who betrayed them. Among those who revolted were Val's three bodyguards. But he was not one who didn't plan things out. He had rigged the entire area with explosives and made sure everyone heard. Many members tried to run for their lives but were taken down by Tokyo police.

By the time Team Possible had arrived, more than three thousand members had been put in custody. The two ran into the flaming city to see if they could find anymore survivors. Long before, Val drove through the place with the mechs and blew up everything in his past. But to avoid casualties, he used the arms and legs on the mech to attack them. And these were mechs with impenetrable armor. He was attacked with everything from handguns to missile launchers, and they did nothing. Some challenged him in other mechs, but they were easily taken down. One person, however, managed to find a weakness in the back of Val's mech, but just as the machine was destroyed, Val jumped out and took on the rest himself, armed to the core with his arsenal of melee weaponry.

Team Possible couldn't see anything other than flames and ruins. It was like the apocalypse had taken place. Rufus pointed out some action taking place on the top floor of a small building a few blocks down, and the two made their move.

When they got there, Val was already in the middle of a final confrontation with his three bodyguards, two of which he had already taken out. But the last one was losing his mind. He was armed to the teeth it all kinds of weapons; swords, knives, grenades, a Twinkie, smoke bombs, a taser and a handgun. But no matter what he used, Val knocked the weapon out of his hand, destroyed it, or moved aside. He deflected a few bullets with a sword while he was at it, but was totally unscathed. Leon went hysterical and in a desperate fit tried to attack his leader with a punch.

Kim and Ron flinched repeatedly as the guy was beaten to a pulp and thrown around the room.

Barely conscious, Leon demanded an explanation. Why did he have a change of heart? Val was more than happy to spill the details as usual. It wasn't that he had a change of heart; this was the objective the entire time, to gather several of the world's worst criminals in one place and rid them from society. Because not a single person died, it meant jail time. Val didn't think much of any justice system of the world, but if it would clean the streets for a few months, then it was worth it. As for the weapons, Val figured they were best used as they were originally intended to be: To fight evil. He would have them destroyed to prevent them from falling into the wrong hands as well.

After that, Val kicked Leon in the face and knocked him out. However, he noticed that Kim and Ron were in the same room. They were just as confused as Leon was, but Val was done fighting. Knowing that they came to save everyone they could, Val tossed his unconscious guards towards the couple. He also told them to leave, revealing that he had a detonator in his hand. He was going to destroy every weapon, hideout and computer database in Iron Hell. Kim and Ron ran knowing that Val wasn't kidding, and just as they crossed back into Tokyo territory, the entire place blew up.

The two watched as the police cuffed Leon, who regained consciousness and wet himself. Seriously. The police demanded to know who the leader of the Circle was.

"No… nothing can stop him… no matter what weapons… you use! He… can do ALL… EVERYTHING! He KNOWS all! He… He is LEGION! For HE… IS… MANY…!"

Leon went hysterical with tears and was thrown into a jail truck. Kim sighed; Val might have been a super ninja, but his skills were heavily exaggerated. Compared to her, he was simply on a higher level, at least to her. Tokyo police couldn't find Val's body and presumed him to be dead. Kim and Ron knew otherwise.

From then on throughout the world, Val was known as Legion. That is, after he was confirmed to be alive two months later; February, when the fight for the artifacts began. He thought the name was exaggerated as well, but he found a nice ring to it.

* * *

"With that said, don't say anything that sounds like his name to Agent Du," Director finished.

"Wait, you mean you sent GJ agents over there? When did that happen?" Kim asked. She sure didn't see any when she was there.

"We knew about the organization and sent agents to stop Ryan before he made his announcement. Agent Du was assigned to handle the threat, but he didn't take his failure well. He would have preferred it if Ryan killed him instead of sparing him like he did."

"Let me guess, he got overconfident, Val used it against him and beat him in a fight, and Will couldn't even comprehend the fact that he failed. I'm also guessing he was so mad that he started breaking stuff."

"Yes, you would be right. Agent Du had not failed a mission prior, and he was forced to be put under an anger management program for it. It got out of hand."

"Why didn't you tell me about it? We would have helped."

"It was supposed to be top secret, and I'm sorry for saying this, but the cameras and media have their way with you. We thought we could handle it before word spread out, but we couldn't. I'm just relieved that it came to an end."

Kim changed the subject. "Let me ask you something. When was the last time you heard of him? The Circle of Blood was disbanded almost exactly a year ago. It wasn't the end of him."

"He was last seen seven months ago. We haven't been able to locate him since."

"I haven't seen him in six. Do we even know he's still alive?"

"I wish I knew," Director replied with concern, "but right now he's your best bet for getting you out of this situation. Your friend Wade has better technology than we do, that's a given." Oh, how long it took for Betty to admit that one throughout the years. "We can only buy you some time."

"But what if the head branch finds out you lied about having me in custody? Won't you be removed from GJ permanently?"

Betty simply continued to walk around. "This is a risk I'm willing to take after all you've done to help us and the world. I'm not going to sell out my ideals and do the wrong thing just because of money. I joined GJ because I wanted to do the right thing, and I have no intention whatsoever of turning in a hero like you. Besides, we can simply say that you escaped. I only tell you this because you're the only one I know who has beaten him in the past. Even if it was twice, it's better than what I've seen others accomplish. If you can find a way to stop him now, then rest assure I'll do the best I can to help clean this mess up."

Kim wasn't so sure. "I'll do what I can."

"Good luck, Kim Possible."

Kim acknowledged and before she knew it, she was sucked into another tube.

* * *

She found herself back in front of Bueno Nacho. At the thought of the name, Kim got an odd craving for it. She went inside to be greeted by Ned, who she hadn't seen in some time. She was surprised he didn't mention Ron and ordered the usual. But Kim didn't realize until the order arrived that she grande-sized her meal and also ordered for two as she always did. A habit she hadn't broken. Again, the thought of Ron came to mind and she didn't want to eat, but actually wound up eating the entire thing.

"Oh man… I am so going to regret that later."

She was already feeling a motion sickness from it, noticing the torn packets of Diablo sauce. She hadn't been here in nearly a year and had so many memories of dates here. It was flooding her mind, so she tossed away the garbage and left. She decided that to take her mind off of this, she would call Wade on the Kimmunicator to inform him of what Director told her, and probably a Ron Report.

Instead, a person in his fifties wearing shades and a black suit answered, reading lines from a paper. "We apologize but this line has been taken offline. We apologize for the incon-"

"Hey, who are you?" Kim demanded.

Bad idea, as he took his eyes off the paper he was reading. "You're Kim Possible!"

"No kidding. What gave me away?"

"Your friend Wade Load has been arrested on the act of treason. You are-"

"Whoa, back up! Wade? Treason?"

He wasn't listening. "Kimberly Ann Possible, you are under arrest for the act of attempted murder and treason. We are now tracing the signal to your communications device. You are to stay where you are until the proper authorities arrive at your locati-"

Before he finished, Kim turned off the Kimmunicator and removed the batteries so the signal couldn't be traced. She couldn't understand why something like this was happening a year later, but she didn't have anywhere to go. Her car was at home, which they probably had surrounded, same with Ron's house and everyone else she knew.

Not knowing what to do, Kim ran for it. She didn't run long before a car caught up with her and the passenger window opened.

"Kim!" It was a young female voice Kim was familiar with.

"Monique?"

"Jump in!"

Kim opened the door of Monique's rather uber-fancy purple car, buckled her seat belt, and held on. Monique slammed on the gas, and the car drove away from Bueno Nacho. The first few seconds was quiet, confusing Kim as to where they were going.

"Well, I can see that you're back in town," Kim started. "I thought you had a few more days in Go City?"

"And I was going to miss the beginning of Club Banana's Middleton Winter sale? As if!"

That was definitely not the reason Monique was back in Middleton, and Kim knew it. She made a fast and sharp left, almost knocking her passenger into her side window. Kim heard something in the back move to all sorts of places.

"Kim, there's a bag with all your stuff in the back. Disguise, fake ID, clothes, survival gear and equipment, the whole enchilada."

Kim had to unbuckle herself to grab it, and noticed how light it was for so much equipment. She couldn't help but wonder what was going on and what Monique knew.

"Wade told me what was going on before the black suits got him," Monique told her before almost running a red light.

"So you knew they were after him?"

"Actually, I ran into some at the mall yesterday, asking everyone if they knew you. Believe me, they weren't friendly faces. I told'em I had no idea who you were, then called Wade to warn him. He asked me to drop by his place to grab all of your equipment, old and new, and just hope I would run into you. He also told me what was going on about that Sean guy and your teacher. I think he tried to clean up his tracks, but the black suits got him… least I think they did."

"They did. But yesterday? Why didn't he tell me?"

"He said you were attacked by your professor only a few hours before. I couldn't understand half of what he said, no offense to him. I don't understand all the techno babble, but it sounded like they jammed his signal. I tried to call your cell phone but there was no service."

Kim didn't even realize that she never called Wade on the cereal box attacker. But still, she was worried about him. What would they do to him?

"Kim, if you need a place to stay,-"

"Sorry Monique, but my list of priorities just got bigger. And no doubt they're already looking for you."

First there was Ron, then Val, and now Wade. Wade was Kim's top priority right now, as he probably wasn't used to danger situations like this in person. There was no telling what kind of psychological effects this would have on him. Before she spilled the details to Monique about what Director told her, Kim noticed something in the rear view mirror.

"Monique, I think we're being followed."

"Hang on."

Monique stepped on the gas further, and the first thing Kim noticed was that her friend was a better driver than she was. Roads were icy in some areas but Monique was able to go in and out of lanes like a pro. Everyone knew that Monique watched wrestling, but Kim wondered if she also watched NASCAR. It wasn't long before she realized that Monique was going in circles around the block. The motorcycle had followed them the entire way without the lights on.

"Is he still on us?"

"Yep."

Monique changed course and it wasn't long before they reached the outskirts of town near the mountains. Just as they passed the Middleton City Limit sign, Monique hit the gas and drove at full speed. Fortunately the streets were completely empty, but it didn't stop the person behind them. Kim kept her eye on the person following, but the change in scenery made her realize something.

"Monique, we're in the mountains!"

"I know, girlfriend. I know the roads are bad, but the biker behind us should have a harder time than us!"

"You have night blindness! Let me take the wheel!"

"No way! I gotta get my hands dirty! Besides, it's not everyday I can see what my baby is made out of!"

Kim slouched in the passenger seat. She knew exactly where this was going. They're on a narrow two-lane road on steep rock. Any mistake and the car would be sent flying. Sure, Kim could pull out a parachute from her bag and save herself and Monique, but she'd have to listen to Monique cry about her car for weeks to come. She'd rather not have that or any kind of destruction, since it would undoubtedly attract attention. She didn't need that right now, either.

All of a sudden, an eighteen-wheeler came from around the corner with his high beams on, blinding Monique.

"Shoot! I can't see!"

Kim quickly grabbed the wheel and swerved the car back into the right lane, only inches away from putting a long scratch on her friend's car. Unfortunately, since she had no control over the gas and the brake, the car slid on the ice. Kim turned the wheel back and forth in an attempt to regain control, but the ice didn't let her have things her way. After a few seconds of spinning on ice, the car had finally come to a stop off the road and away from oncoming traffic.

Both girls let out long relieved sighs.

"Okay, I am never ever going to do that again. I am so not ready for this action thing. How's the car?"

"Fine. We didn't hit anything, just slid on ice, that's all."

Monique let out a huge sigh, inadvertently letting out a squeak. "It's going to take me twenty years of training to get used to that." She was breathing heavily.

"Monique, why on earth did you do something like this?"

Monique looked away with an embarrassed look on her face. "I needed some excitement in my life?"

Kim glared at her. "Look, Monique, I know sometimes you want to try what I do, but I don't want you to put yourself in anymore danger, okay?"

"Okay. You make things look so easy that sometimes I wonder if they are." She noticed Kim was struggling to get her seatbelt off. "Where are you going?"

Kim didn't answer as she got out of the car.

Since Kim wasn't watching, Monique held the steering wheel tightly like a newborn child. "Don't worry baby, I'm never going to do that to you again!"

Outside, Kim looked out for anything suspicious. The roads were quiet with no signs of police sirens of any kind. No helicopters, anything. She was sure that the close call would attract some kind of attention. She felt a cold wind behind her, turning back to Monique's car. She was still hugging the steering wheel. Seeing that Monique was fine, she looked back to the-

"Hi."

… roads only to find their follower right in front of her. Kim somersaulted backwards and got into a fighting stance.

"Relax. I'm not here to fight you." It was a female voice.

Kim lowered her guard. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Just to warn you," the girl in the helmet answered. "Don't pursue Load or anybody else."

"Why?"

"The prison they are holding Load in-"

Kim's eyes widened. "Whoa, back up. Did you just say 'prison'?"

"That I did. It's a new penitentiary they built between Middleton and Lowerton, but right now he's the only one there."

And to think Monique drove north. "I see. So why should I just leave him there?"

"It's a trap, obviously. The place is on high security, looking out for you and armed to the teeth."

"Guns and sniper rifles?"

"That, grenade and rocket launchers, and stingers. Not even someone like you will survive alone."

"Shoot. So what does this have to do with you?"

"Nothing," the girl answered. "I am only doing what I am told."

"Who sent you?"

"That is none of your concern."

"Oh really? So what if I don't listen to what you tell me, and try to go after Wade?"

The girl took off her helmet and unzipped her jacket. She was a bit shorter than Kim was, had purple hair with pigtails with eyes of the same color. She was a pretty one, but had two scars in the shape of an X between her eyes. After tossing the helmet aside, the girl pulled out two kitana swords.

"Then, I'll have to kill you."

Kim backed up. "Hold on, I thought you said you didn't come to fight."

"To fight? No. To kill? Only if you fail to do what I tell you."

Without missing a beat, the girl lunged her blades at her. Kim dove aside before the girl attempted to strike, but upon landing noticed some of her hair was on the ground. Kim couldn't even tell herself that she was facing a quick opponent before the girl stuck again. Kim somersaulted out of the way as she had done many times before, but this time, she found her shirt cut open. Her skin wasn't cut, but she hoped more than anything no boys would drive by, as part of her bra was revealed.

'_Holy crap,'_ Kim thought to herself. She had no weapons on her, and the ice was anything but solid terrain. "Just who are you?" she asked as she tried to cover her shirt.

The girl chuckled. "Impressed? Here's the deal, you stay away from Load and I'll leave you alone."

"Why is that important?"

"I told you, I'm only following orders."

"Tell me your name, at least?"

"What's the point of telling you my name when you're about to die?"

Without waiting for an answer, the girl sprinted towards Kim on the ice, almost as if it were concrete. Again she used both of her blades to hack and slash Kim, who used every evasion move she had to avoid them. But every time the girl managed to cut something; Kim's hair or part of her clothes. Unfortunately for Kim, it was getting more embarrassing by the second, and she couldn't help but wonder why Monique hadn't noticed anything at all. But she couldn't look towards Monique's car, as that would leave her open for attack. Finally, the girl tried to strike again, but Kim grabbed her wrists. The girl tried to struggle out, but Kim had quite a grip on her.

"Let go!"

"And let you kill me? Uh, no, miss tries too hard. You were better off keeping that helmet on."

Kim twisted the girl's wrists as hard as she could, but the girl showed no signs of pain whatsoever, smiling at the redhead's attempt to hurt her. Realizing this was going nowhere, Kim head-butted the girl and shoved her knee into her abdomen, not only knocking her back but also freeing the blades from her grip. However, the girl tried to regain her balance on the ice that covered both lanes of the road, but she couldn't stop sliding. She freaked out when she noticed this, and flew over the guardrail. Unable to grab onto anything, she was sent into the depths below. Kim ran to the edge to see what happened, but the girl was nowhere to be seen, as it was a steep fall.

"Who was she?"

Kim then let out a shiver. There was more breezes in her outfit than she would ever want to remember. She was grateful to any and all higher powers that this wasn't in public and no boys were around. No doubt if anyone drove by they'd honk the horn. She turned back to Monique's car, seeing her struggle with her seatbelt and the front door to help out. So she did notice. Kim simply walked around, opened the passenger door and got back in.

"Who was that?" Monique asked, freaked out.

Kim sighed. "I have no idea. All she said was not to go after Wade, only that security's tight, but nothing on why that was important." She noticed Monique was still breathing heavily. "You think you're going to be okay?"

"I need another 20 years of training to get used to that. Oh, sorry to worry you back there Kim-girl, but I thought this would've helped."

"It did, Monique. It did. But you don't need to go out of your way for me anymore. I can take care of myself from here. Thanks a ton, anyway."

Monique sounded queasy. "No problem. Oh, wait, I've got something Wade wanted me to give you."

She opened the glove compartment and pulled out two devices that looked like Kimmunicators, only with a more obsolete look. "I don't remember all the details, but Wade said it's only audio and the signal can't be traced. You keep one, and I keep the other in case things get hairy here. I guess Wade wanted me to be the informer here or something."

Wade must have thought that Kim was going to leave the area. But knowing this, she had no intention of leaving him in a prison cell.

"I've got a disguise now, Monique. I've got to find and free Wade. I don't care what that assassin says."

She clearly disagreed. "Bad idea, girlfriend. They grabbed him to lure you in. You'll be a moth to the flame."

"Wade told you that too, huh?"

"Yup."

Kim sighed. If Wade said something, "He might be right…"

Thinking about the situation further, she realized that they were probably expecting her immediately after Wade's capture. It might have been better to wait until their suspicions ease, but at the same time, she was wondering if they would do anything to him. She quickly opened the bag up and looked for something to wear, since it was cold outside and she needed a new outfit.

"Do you mind if I, uh, you know, change in here?" Kim sheepishly asked.

"Go ahead, but close the door! I don't want all the cold air coming in here!" Monique cried.

Kim didn't realize she never closed the door in the first place. She quickly did as told, turned up the heater and jumped in the back. Even though Monique didn't watch, Kim could see that she looked baffled the whole time. She only knew a part of what was going on, but not everything. As she changed, Kim told Monique everything she knew, from Sean's betrayal to what Director told her, and exactly what happened on the roof of the Tower at Bay City over a year ago.

Monique was rather quick to form an opinion, sharing the same sentiments as Director. "Girl, sounds to me like you've got to take out the source of the problem. That Val guy has been nothing but bad news since he arrived on the scene."

"Back when I thought high school was harder than hero work. But that's the thing, Monique. We haven't heard or seen him in the last six months. I don't even know if he's still alive."

Monique didn't appear concerned. "You know, there was another thing Wade wanted me to give you, and he said he just finished it."

She had a small device in the cup holder of her car and gave it to Kim. It looked like her handheld mirror, only that it had a radar screen and was beeping madly, visually though. It made no noise. But Kim already had something like this.

"He said it detects the titanium-like metal of Val's left arm." Monique explained. "Denteressen or something like that."

Kim was familiar with the word. Val had told her a long time ago that the metal in his arm, Denteressen, was preventing Wade from getting a lock on him. Wade didn't think the metal actually existed, since a search for the word – which took him some time to spell correctly – revealed that it was a rare metal believed to be created by the demons of hell. Val was also an expert on rare treasures; the proof was in his successful search for the eight relics. So even if it existed, it was no wonder that it was in Val's possession.

But the dot was beeping madly to a location that was very close by. Did Wade actually manage to successfully create a tracking device for it? Could Val really be there? Maybe it was a good idea that Monique drove all the way up to the mountains. Could the girl who attacked Kim have some kind of connection to Val? It would be hard to believe considering how much Val hated women, seeing most of them as teasing heartbreakers, fakers, or wild party goers. But he was still alive, at least according to this device. Kim thought that searching him out could take a long time, but if Val had something to do with this, Kim was more than certain he had everything to do with it.

She could end this tonight. According to the radar, he was located at the Tri-City Electric Plant. It was about thirty miles south.

"I'm going after him."

Monique didn't even need to ask Kim what she was going to do. Kim got out of the car, wearing a white and blue outfit that covered her neck to toe. It was underneath a silver trenchcoat, and Kim was now donning a brunette wig with blue contacts. It was so against her fashion, but that was the point. See someone in bad fashion, and Kim Possible was the last person you would think of, as long as you agreed with her sense of fashion in the first place. Kim carried the bag onto the motorcycle of the girl who ambushed her. Clearly she wouldn't be needing it anymore, same went with her kitana blades. After securing the bag on it, she had Monique lower the window.

"Monique, here's what I want you to do. I want you to go back to Middleton."

Monique had a hard time believing it was Kim. "Back to Middleton? Are you crazy? They probably have Black Suits waiting for me just like you said there would be!"

"Exactly. They'll become way more suspicious if you're running away from them, and no doubt they'll come after you. Just go home like you always do and take it easy. I'm only hoping they don't do anything to you. And if they do, call and I'll be there."

"Are you sure about this?"

"I'd rather have you safe at home with black suits surrounding the place than you driving on icy mountains at 60 MPH. I'm the one they're after, and they used Wade as bait because they know he's my tech-guy."

Monique sighed. "Okay, I'll do what you say. Just… give me a moment here." She still needed breathing time.

"Sure. But _drive slowly_. You don't want them to get suspicious and draw attention. Stay in the speed limit this time. Remember, it's icy around here. But if you see sirens, just pull over. Just don't say you've seen me, of course."

"I gotcha. But you be careful out there, too. And you'd better call, girl. You'd better keep in touch and don't you dare skip the details."

"I won't."

After that, Monique put the window back up as Kim turned on the motorcycle. It took her a moment to rev it up and drive off.

As for Kim, it was time to pay an old 'friend' a visit.

* * *

Further below Monique's car, it was a long and steep drop from the guardrail. Along the way were several sharp shattered rocks, bushes and many broken trees. It was a long but bloodless trail to the rough surface below. There lay a girl on the ground, upside down with all of her limbs out of place. We're talking broken bones and dislocated limbs, all of them.

"Damn."

Her eyes shot wide open, following a vehicle that was heading back towards Middleton. She would soon get up as if nothing happened.


	5. 4: The Sophisticated Depths of Hell

**Chapter 4: The Sophisticated Depths of Hell**

**

* * *

**

Most people would have avoided this place. Most actually haven't heard of it. But to Kim, she didn't blame the former, though you would wonder about the latter.

The Tri-City Electric Plant was a huge building just outside Middleton, hidden past several hills. You wouldn't see it if you were driving on the interstate or any public road for that matter. Kim didn't have a hard time finding it, as this wasn't her first visit here. She had to drive her dad here shortly after the Circle of Blood incident, when his car was in the shop again. The only reason she didn't go inside was because he said he needed to pick something up. She never went inside, and this was quite a first impression just standing outside the gates.

Electrical plants shouldn't have required laser and electrical fences, or many people to guard it. At least thirty guards were knocked out, and this was just from the front view. They were all glowing blue from a nearby source; the outfit that Kim decided to wear, the blue and white outfit that covered her neck to toe.

Her battle suit. She was wearing it and it was fully active and functional. It would be more than enough to finish this once and for all, as she had no other intention for tonight.

But it wasn't the thirty or so unconscious guards that raised her suspicions, but rather the fact that the front door was wide open; a clear and welcome invitation. This was definitely a trap all right, Kim thought to herself. Considering that Val would never appear under any kind of radar, no matter what kinds of technology Wade used, something was not right about him appearing on a device that had less than half the functionality of the Kimmunicator. This would only happen if he wanted to see her for whatever reason. In the past, Kim had the unfortunate tendency to walk into one of his traps in her previous encounters with him, and they almost always had grave results.

Kim remembered the last one all too well. Val was stealing ancient artifact #5, which had little to no information on it from a huge museum. Ron noticed that he forgot about the lights from outside, revealing his shadow to the two as he sprinted by. Kim and Ron tried to pursue him by sneaking in from the ventilation shafts above, but they didn't know that Val had rigged the security system two days ago by disguising himself as the Tech man, placing the infrared sensors inside the very vents. So once both had made their way inside in a sneak ambush, the security had gone off and the cameras were quick to pick up the two teen heroes, and _only_ the two teen heroes. It was enough of a distraction for Val to escape with the stolen good, and the next morning proved to be quite a pain for poor Kim having to explain what happened and why the cameras showed her and Ron to be the intruders. Fortunately, one of the heads told authorities it was the truth as she recalled a suspicious new employee "adding" security. That was just one of many traps he crafted for them.

When Kim and Ron had gotten the pictures from the same cameras that Val placed, they didn't recognize him. It wasn't the first time that he duped the two with disguises, however. This time, the so-called tech serviceman not only had long red hair, but green eyes as well, much like someone else Kim knew all too well. As she and Ron watched the test video Val purposely recorded after setting up the camera, they noticed he winked right at it. It was clearly done to make fun of Kim, knowing they'd watch the video under such circumstances, and that he once again tricked everyone with a disguise. Wade did a screen capture of the frame, adding it to a list of disguises that Val used. It consisted of at least ten disguises, and the whole team still couldn't see the similarities, since Val managed to cover up his trademark scar perfectly. He was just that good. It was bad enough when Kim had to explain the sitch to the authorities, but it was worse when the press came. For better or worse, Ron handled them. It gave Kim a well-needed break, but they could've gone home a lot sooner if Ron wasn't so eager to answer questions and please those he thought of as fans.

But that was about eight months ago back in April.

Kim pulled out a pair of binoculars out of her bag, trying to see what she could in this darkness. It was definitely past ten, and at this time of the year near Middleton you couldn't tell what time it was by looking at the moonless sky. Even the outer lights didn't reflect off the actual building, which resembled a factory more than anything. Fortunately, the binoculars had all kinds of vision modes built into them, from X-Ray, Sound, Night Vision, and Thermal/ Infrared. Kim went with the Night Vision, since it was obviously night, and saw a door on the upper level. She pulled out her grappling gun and pulled herself up there, quietly opening it and sneaking in. She left her bag and her disguise outside.

Pitch black darkness filled Kim's vision as she made her way through, and she was beginning to wonder if she should've asked her dad what kind of place this really was. She found herself in hallways filled with wires as the walls, thanks to the blue lights of her suit lighting only the immediate area for her. The path wasn't as long as she had thought it would be, eventually finding a hallway that wasn't infested with huge wires. She crept through as quickly and quietly as she could, keeping her eye on her radar.

The red dot was still beeping; she was getting closer. A lot of thoughts were going through her head. Yes, she was aware that this was more than likely a trap, but she wondered if it really was Val. Kim didn't even think about the possibility that he knew everything that was going on, because she knew it, period. But the question was, was he still alive after all of this time? Considering the last huge act he pulled, she wondered if he was dead, and this time for real.

Turning through various halls, Kim started to hear a loud humming noise. It sounded like a huge machine at work. Maybe huge was an understatement. She crept more slowly, tiptoeing to the exit, where she noticed an ominous blue light shining through. It wasn't bright or blinding, thankfully, but she could hear something else.

Humming. Someone was humming a tune.

It was definitely his voice.

Kim took a quick look at the words on the radar, and it read loud and clear: "Warning: Target in Close Range." Kim wondered why Wade couldn't just make it say how close the target was instead, then she looked on the bottom of the screen and it actually did. Ten feet. Val was close by, and for some reason he was humming a tune. Kim tried to deny it, but she found it rather… catchy. Still, she took a deep breath as she made her way out of the hallway and into the massive room.

Massive itself was an understatement, as the room was almost the size of the plant itself. Kim found herself in the heart of the place, and it was no wonder it was kept within the vaguest of details. The source of the ominous blue light was just to her side; The Core, a giant glowing blue orb or pure energy, completely shielded by metal gates so no one would be stupid enough to even attempt to touch it. Fortunately for Kim, the glow was similar to that on her battle suit, helping herself blend in. She was on the second floor high on a catwalk, and she was able to see her target right below her.

There he was, after he had disappeared and had not been seen in six months, there he was. Valhalia Erocus Ryan. However, what he was doing was anything but what Kim expected. Normally, Val would either wait for Kim or sneak up on him, always anticipating when and where she and Ron would appear, but this time he had himself occupied. His left arm, constructed out of rare and powerful metals, was inside some kind of huge computer terminal. With his other hand, he was single-handedly typing on a small computer that was built into his mechanical arm. He was also wearing headphones, a first. Kim peeked her head past the catwalk to get a better visual.

The floor below her was rather small, floored entirely with metal grating. It reminded her much of the warehouse fight that she duked it out with Ryan a long time ago. Right below her to the southwest was the main entrance. Next to that, to the southeast area was a small elevator that led to the other floors below. Separating those two was a steel wall about five feet deep into the room. The computer terminal that Val was at was on the northwest side of the room, but there was no light to determine whether there was anything in the northeast side.

Everything down there was glowing from the core, several hundreds of feet away. Kim told herself that something about all of this seemed really familiar to her, and then it had hit her. Her dad had been talking about some creation called 'The Core' after the electric company complained about the Possible family sucking up too much electricity around Christmas. Her dad had a real passion for putting so many lights in the time of year, and instead of putting what he considered a tradition to an end, he made an agreement with the electric company, now that he was well-acclaimed for his groundbreaking discoveries and cracking cybertronic technology. Kim was still trying to get used to the University life, and being away from home she wasn't able to hear the details at the dinner table as she normally would have. Her mom told her over the phone that he got excited about the details and would be in and out of the house in a snap, but she wasn't able to get anything out of it. The only detail her mom got out of it was that the electric plant moved to a new place, and her husband was somehow involved.

Seeing this glowing blue wonder, it hit Kim: Her dad somehow developed a huge ball of pure energy to light not only Middleton, but Upperton and Lowerton as well. Kim would have thought it was just Middleton if not for the "Tri-City" name of the place. And Val was doing something to the ball of energy that lay a few several hundred feet exactly from where he was.

Kim was crawling the whole time as she wondered how this blue marvel came to be, and she was just right above Val. She took notice of the main entrance on the floor below her. No doubt that was probably where he anticipated her arrival from. But this time, Kim had the upper hand, as she was elsewhere. There was a lot of room in the floor below, pretty much its own catwalk also floored with steel grating. Val was still occupied with whatever music he was listening to, and his stalker noticed he was humming to more than just a beat.

Val had gotten away from Kim numerous times, and she was adamant that things would end here and now. She wouldn't sneak up on him and make the usual introductions. If she could, she would knock him out without him even knowing who did it or how it happened. It wasn't like her to take things fast and brutal, but when it came to people like Val, she had little choice. But being a floor above him, she had the perfect opportunity. Jump from the rail and land right on him, hopefully slam her elbow into his head, and maybe even break the floor with it. Kim didn't care about being fair anymore. Even though she had her share of defeats by the likes of Drakken and Shego, they would have their moments of being captured. Val on the other hand was able to evade capture every time. At first, she grew frustrated, but more and more he got away, it possessed her mind like an obsession. Even though she knew him for nearly two years, she was completely unable to crack his methods, schemes, his way of planning, everything. No matter what, he always had something new for her.

The truth was, he and he alone somehow brought out the worst in her. Kim was used to living a normal and easy life, even though she claimed it was anything but. Saving the world and tackling high school wasn't easy, but everyone would tell you it never hit her that her life in comparison to other people was on the high tide. A straight-A student, a champion cheerleader captain, a loyal boyfriend that loved her for who she was, a wealthy and successful family, and someone who saved the world on occasion. But Val would introduce her to a world outside of that, where death, betrayal and defeat were common. As if testing Kim, he showed her a much uglier side to the criminal underground, from psychotic criminals who would take much more than punches and kicks to take out, to challenges that would have her struggling – some of which had led to serious injury on her part. And last, defeat. Kim wasn't someone who accepted defeat well. Sure, some of the bad guys would get away, but they'd be there next time for the taking. Not with Val, and after being beat time and time and time and time again after the Bay City Crisis, it affected her.

Ryan disappeared after taking his final prize, just about the same time Ron left and went missing. It had been six long months since she had last seen him, and nothing had gone right since.

After tonight, everything was going to change. All she needed to do was knock him unconscious, send him back to the authorities and claim her innocence.

So carefully and as quietly as she could, Kim climbed over the rail, positioned herself over Val, and let herself fall with her elbow aimed into her prey's head. He didn't stop humming his tune or typing keys on his laptop.

Things that seem too good to be true… most often are.

Just when Kim was within a range where it was impossible to react, a loud and sickening metal thud echoed the room. The impact wasn't one of a falling elbow striking and probably cracking open a skull. It sounded like something weighing 96 pounds crashed into the floor from a fifteen foot drop.

Those 96 pounds were all Kim.

She let out painful cries as she grabbed her elbow, but soon realized that it wasn't hurting. Not one bit, in fact. Her battle suit absorbed the blow. Trying to make sense of what just happened, Kim got up, checked her arm, which was amazingly fine, and looked what happened to Val. He was still there, still humming the tune and doing his computer work, acting as if nothing had happened. It was like he never moved, and Kim realized that he probably didn't move in the first place. This only meant one thing, and she slowly moved her hand in a wave motion into his head.

Her hand went right through it.

"A hologram?"

This was bad. If Val was somewhere in the room, and Kim was more than sure he was, he was now completely aware of her presence. Another attempt at stealth - failed. But there was no other noise than the core and the continuous humming of the hologram. Unlike the Holo-Kim, it didn't have its own artificial intelligence built in. The hologram could have gotten up on its feet and welcomed Kim, pretending to be Val. It was programmed to do something, and the hologram of Val was still moving his head slightly to the tune he was humming. He was also still typing on the small keyboard on his mechanical left arm. A diversion at the most, and Kim would have been less scared if it did have its own AI and talk to her. It just made her wonder where the real Val was.

Then she heard noise above her. She could hear the sound of something swooping, and dove out of the way. A pipe hit the floor soon after. Kim quickly pulled out a flashlight from her utility belt and tried to see where the pipe came from, but she got nothing but the corner of two walls and a ceiling of the northeast end.

Just behind her, she heard loud footsteps. She quickly turned around but saw nothing. The sounds of chains could soon be heard from the ceiling, but nothing was up there, either. The chains weren't even moving.

Finally, a loud impressed whistle just inches to Kim's left was heard. Sure enough, Val was standing right next to her, leaning against the computer with arms crossed. Kim leapt back in reflex, but her enemy stayed firm, staring at the Core.

"I'm impressed. Your father's revolutionary discoveries of cybertronic technology have allowed for such a magnificent marvel to be created. I would be proud of him." He then turned his eyes towards Kim, noticing she had taken up a defensive stance. "Nice of you to drop in," a bitter yet calm voice welcomed.

Kim looked annoyed, hoping that this time she would have outsmarted her dark rival. "I wish I could say it was nice to see you, too…"

Val didn't look that much different from the last time Kim had seen him. He still had messy jet black spiky hair, he still had a huge scar that covered most of his forehead and went past his left eye, his blue-gray eyes could strike fear into anyone if they stared at them long enough and with a smug curve on his lips. He seemed to have grown a little taller than Kim, not by much, probably around Ron's height. But to Kim, much like her other villains he didn't seem to have a spot for fashion, and he refused to be like most of Kim's villains with jumpsuits or bizarre and colorful outfits. In fact, he refused to have anything in common with them. Instead, he wore an open black trenchcoat with red linings and seemed to be filled with tribal designs all around the inside, mixed with what appeared to be old textures. If anything he resembled a young Count Dracula, not surprising since a while back people mixed the 'a' and 'l' in his name, receiving the nickname "Vlad". Inside the coat, Kim could see that he was armed to the teeth with all kinds of weapons. She could see a small staff that would extend to full size, a sword, knives, and shurikens. This time, he also carried a utility belt much like she did. No doubt it was filled with smoke and flash bombs and other projectile weapons.

Valia Ryan stood out among Kim's common enemies, and for many reasons.

The one that often caught her common villains' attention was his age: Five days older than she was. Many had speculated that Val was actually Kim's dark mirror, able to do everything she can and more. He was second only to Sensei in hand-to-hand combat, and it was arguable whether or not he was deadlier with weapons. No one was able to determine how many styles of martial arts he practiced, but recent studies concluded he was well-versed in twenty separate styles, utilizing all of them in battle and developing his own personal fighting style from it. He was extremely serious, having little to no sense of humor whatsoever, but on rare occasions he would show a human side. He was actually like a lot of teenagers Kim knew as much as she hated to say it. Like her, he also wanted to help people and to make the world a better place, but thanks to being humiliated and ruined by a girl he fell in love with, which was no mere crush, he snapped. Yet, in combat, he was like a machine. He was a clever tactician, researching his enemies before confronting them and able to read them like a book. All sorts of weaknesses would be obvious to him, able to determine such things from seeing how someone walks, from how they blink their eyes to how they fight in combat. This took Kim and Ron off guard when they first fought him, a fight that ended too quickly, leaving Kim waking up with a huge bandage on her head the next morning. Kim only hoped it was beginner's luck, but time and time again Val proved that he was not only tough, but smart. He was also an expert in technology, able to throw off Wade's tracking devices every time, mostly in the form of jamming signals. However, once Team Possible caught on that jamming signals were a sign of him being close, he stopped, again putting them in a dilemma.

But to Kim, he stood out for one reason other than how deadly and smart he was: He never had any intentions of taking over the world, one that he hated so much. He was an extremely pessimistic teen, betrayed by the logic of doing the right thing and helping others. He too wanted to do the right things in life, but was driven mad by being used and taken advantage because of it. He was an observant teenager, somehow training himself in psychologically just by observing those around him, and he developed an intense hatred for just about every one of them, from corrupt bureaucrats to his selfish and peers who only wanted to live for themselves without a care for anyone else or how they would impact later generations. Ignorance, selfishness, inconsiderate, idiocy, the need to belong and be accepted, fads, cliques, trends, fairy tale relationships and especially insecurities, he hated it all. However, he proved time and time again that it was not without reason, which could be downright scary at times. He may have been angst-ridden, but he wasn't the kind of person who would constantly whine about the world, take his anger out on others (with the exception for his first encounter with Kim and Ron), or try to influence others to join and think like him. He didn't demand followers or sympathy. No matter what he did, no one could ever figure out true motives. Just when they thought they had him, he did something to throw them off.

Even when it came to the deadliest of Kim's foes, it was no big. The same could not be said for Ryan, as time proved again and again.

The two were staring at each other for some time. One had a stern face, the other slightly amused. The latter quickly turned stern as well.

"Really Kim, you truly thought you could have been able to sneak up on me like that? I thought you knew me better… Of course, it has been a long time."

Kim still kept quiet. Being caught didn't exactly put her in a good mood, and her opponent knew it. Finally, she muttered something, "How did…"

Val scoffed. "Why else would the entrance on the second floor be _unlocked past closing hours_?"

Kim only grumbled in thought. How could she have missed something like that? Unfortunately, compared to the other mistakes she made on missions since Ron left, this was nothing.

"Tell me why you're here…" she quietly demanded.

He shrugged as he started walking to his left, walking through the hologram. "Why bother? You're just going to ambush me anyway, just as you always have before."

Kim crossed her arms. "Maybe, but I doubt you came all the way over here just to tinker with some next-gen technology. You wouldn't appear on any kind of radar or expose yourself without a reason. Don't think I don't know this is a trap."

Suddenly, all of the doors had slammed shut. A voice over system could be heard. _"Warning: Security Lockdown in Effect."_

Kim didn't seem surprised. "Wow, spiffy. So what's the occasion?"

Val smiled and stretched out his arms behind his head. "Nothing, really. I just wanted to catch up with an old friend of mine. It's been a long time and I've wondered how you've been."

Kim was already growing annoyed. "Please, you know _exactly_ what's going on and why everything's going on."

"How do you figure?" he asked innocently.

"You always do," Kim snapped back, "You're like a stalker, you know where I am at all times, you know what's going on in my life-"

"Please, 'stalker' is a bit harsh." Val didn't seem to care about Kim's reaction. "But you're right, I've kept myself current on you, and I am quite aware of everything that's going on. Never confront an opponent you know nothing about, I say. Know thy enemy."

Kim only narrowed her eyes.

Val continued on. "It's not the first time I've been right, my friend. Didn't I say a long time ago that one day that the people you would save and protect turn against you?"

Kim really didn't know the details of the situation, so she let Val continue.

Instead, he changed the subject. "I've also warned you about what your relationship with Stoppable would lead to. And here you are all alone, in a desperate attempt to save yourself – something you refused to learn then and now."

"Because I was more concerned with him, I know, you've fed me the same garbage over and over," Kim retorted.

"And yet you always refuse to heed my advice, and you wouldn't find yourself in this situation had you not focused so much on your fairy tale relationship… or what was left of it, anyway."

"Excuse me?"

Val scoffed. "Don't think I didn't overhear the arguments and blame games you two put on each other when I made my escapes. I knew from the heated debates that one of you would break it off."

"Not surprised you're amused about the separation," Kim grumbled. "I figure you of all people would be boasting about it. Considering Ron was acting a little off, I almost thought you were behind it."

He laughed. "Mind control again? I'd become predictable, then. Not my style. Besides, why do something when others can do it for you?"

These words caught Kim off guard. "Wh… what do you mean?"

He only shook his head as he turned his attention to The Core again. "It's true that Stoppable is your prime weakness, but if anyone had to break things off, I'd rather let you two suffer in your own self-destruction and experience it for yourself – something I couldn't give you even if I tried. I'm not surprised or amused that it happened. I've told you before that nothing is forever. Not life, culture, trends, innocence, morals… not even love. Such things are inevitable. It's not my fault you didn't see it coming, and it's not my fault you didn't anticipate the cost. I didn't say all those things regarding your relationship to be a jerk. I told you so you could prepare yourself for it. Now look at you."

Kim wasn't sure what to make of that last statement, trying to hide her confusion.

Val only shook his head. "Now who's playing dumb?"

Kim was still waiting for an explanation.

Val turned around and started moving back and forth. "Look at the person you've become. Hostile as always, overly dramatic, easy to jump to conclusions, prone to making too many mistakes, and yet you've been in this rut for the last year or so. So college is really that bad, is it? Or maybe it's because of Ron?"

Kim merely narrowed her eyes. "It's not exactly heaven…" referring to the former.

Val let out a cocky smile. "Arrogant instructors who don't know what they're talking about? Peers who want you to be their puppet? Maybe being away from home? Loneliness?"

Kim didn't respond. She knew that he knew the answer. The last one.

"You're kidding, you still haven't gotten over _that_ insecurity? No wonder you're in the rut you're in now. You really are pathetic."

"SHUT UP!" Kim roared. "What do you know?"

Val burst out laughing. "A lot more than you, as usual! I've been a loner a hell of a lot longer than you have, Kimberly Ann!"

"So wouldn't that make you more or less pathetic?"

Val wouldn't stop laughing, then stopped with bold eyes. "No! Loneliness doesn't make you a pathetic person. It's the inability to cope with it that makes one pathetic; to fear it! No… Instead of fearing something so feeble, I chose to embrace it! You should know this better than anybody; to confront your fears is the only way to get over them. Oh sure, I could have changed that by selling myself out to please the pathetic likes of others and becoming a puppet of society, but I don't demand to have myself surrounded by others!"

"Well, neither do I, bu-"

"But what?" Val interrupted. "I know you don't demand to be the center of attention, either, but deep inside you wanted similar respect as you did in high school. Why bother to gain acceptance by a bunch of morons who will stab you in the back, anyway? I know high school was different, but I've warned you of the real world time and time again. Just because you're popular in high school because of your hero work doesn't mean it'll transfer to college."

"I _KNOW_ that bu-"

"Don't think I haven't heard the stories. It was bad enough living in an apartment all alone that you had to move into the dorms, but it was stressful enough when people ignored you because you weren't a party girl. So much for making friends to take your mind off of things. Deny it all you want, Kimberly Ann, but you can't live alone in this world. You can deny everything about your life falling apart, but as long as you continue to deny everything, your life will only further collapse, and not even you will be able to save yourself. To be quite honest, I'm surprised you're still alive."

The world turned upside down for Kim once she moved into the dorms, right after Ron left. She knew that Val attempted going to school again after the Bay City Incident, but no one from professors and peers liked the fact that he knew more than they did. He was instantly hated for how much he knew. He wasn't exactly a snob, but he wasn't exactly social either. He hated any and everyone involved in 'experimentation' with dangerous substances or actions that were life-threatening, insecure and ignorant people, which consisted of more than half the student body. To Val, he knew who he was and believed he knew his purpose in life, so there was no need for soul-searching with what he considered a bad crowd. He dropped out when all of his professors threatened him with failure for correcting them. But Kim didn't know where he attended.

Val wasn't done with her yet. "Sure, you could've handled the stress back then in high school easily… but without Ron to hold your hand, you've fallen off your path and you're lost. I'm amazed you're still fighting to keep your reputation, or what's left of it anyway. All of this stressful hell and all because you still continue to dwell on Stoppable and refuse to move on in life."

Kim was quick to snap back. "You're actually telling me to move on in life? You've got some nerve, Mr. I-hate-people-and-their-feelings-because-I-got-my-heart-broken-and-my-former-battle-partner-died-and-I'll-get-my-revenge!"

Val showed no emotion on his face. "On the contrary, Kimberly Ann. Unlike you, I _have_ gotten over my past. High school is over, and the Bosses are no more. Retribution and karma have served their purpose, so why dwell on it any longer?"

"And your partner?" Kim asked. Val's fallen partner in his real past had a strong influence on his actions on their previous encounter.

He didn't seem amused at her words. "Her dying wish was for me to move on in life, and as far as I'm concerned, I've honored that wish. At least, I've made my attempts to, if not for you." Val started walking back and forth.

Kim wasn't convinced. "Yeah, you know, I don't really consider someone who founded one of the biggest terrorist groups, disbands it, then goes off to steal some museum artifacts 'moving on'."

Val slowly opened up his trenchcoat to reveal what appeared to be a necklace. However, it was made from the relics he stole. In appearance, they looked like ancient artifacts shielded by pieces of rock. They didn't have solid shapes and were anything but geometric. In the many crevices, there was definitely technology inside of it, but not of today's. In appearance it was almost like clockwork.

Val sighed loudly. "You really don't know what these relics were created for, do you? You also know why I did what I did back then. And don't try to deny every other interference…"

Kim shrugged, not paying attention after he asked about the relics. "Honestly, I lost interest when Wade couldn't find anything on them…"

"Passionless as well…" Val quietly muttered as he closed his coat.

Unfortunately, what Kim said about her knowledge of the artifacts was true. After Val was successful in stealing the first two, Kim had Wade try to dig up whatever information he could. He and his growing number of accomplices didn't have any previous knowledge of these, so they pretty much hacked into every information database to get anything. However, they all hit one government database with the words: "The Ancient Keys of the Origins." Wade let Kim herself get a glance of the information, so she was the first to see everything, or what was left, anyway.

"No Data," the screen read. They weren't the first ones there. Val himself had gotten the information he needed and deleted the records. He too was knowledgeable in hacking into government databases, seeing that he developed some of the firewall software. They weren't successful in finding any books or documents regarding them, either.

And this wouldn't be the first time Val did such a thing. He would hack into systems and get confidential information about various things from banned weapons and illegal substances. It wasn't that these were necessarily dangerous unless in the wrong hands, but they were originally developed for mass production, only the governments of the world believed such powerful weapons cost far too much, even in a time when they were needed.

She continued on. "…and really, I don't care why you take them. You steal them, you can expect me to be around."

Val smiled. "And that's why you've been able to stop me every time," he said with clear sarcasm and a narcissistic smile on his face.

Kim clenched her teeth. She could be smart and cool around every other enemy, all except Val, the one person who always got away.

He could see Kim's gesture too easily, chuckling lightly at the teen heroine. "But enough talk about that," he smiled. "If you knew this was a trap, then why take the bait? I must hear your reasons."

Kim got back into a fighting stance. "You know that there's a price on my head all of a sudden and that I'm being hunted down by black suits and assassins."

Val shook his head. "No, that's not what I'm asking."

Kim finally sighed. "What do you want me to say, then? That I'm not here not only because I want answers of the recent events, but I'm desperate to get my hands on you?"

"Close enough. But you're right, I'm well aware of the current situation. From the police radio feeds the orders to find and capture you were delivered no more than two hours ago."

Kim continued. "Sounds about right. You probably already know why, too, I'll bet."

"I'd hate to disappoint you, but I don't."

For once, Val said there was something he didn't know, and Kim didn't buy it for a second. "Liar!"

"Honest-to-God truth, although my guess is that the head offices suspect you of turning that old bag Brown into a vegetable," he confirmed.

"And that was _you_. Everyone should know that."

"You would think so, wouldn't you?"

Kim shook her head. "Doesn't matter. So that Senator you said wanted me dead is out of the picture. So why is this happening?"

"I told you, I don't know all the details."

"I don't believe you."

"When I start to care what you believe, I'll let you know."

"I know you have something to do with this, Val. No one else I know could conjure up a storm like this."

"You give me far too much credit."

Kim was growing frustrated, and she finally couldn't handle it. "Look, you did something to twist this around so it would come back to hit me! I know I might have interfered in letting you live a normal life, but you're still a criminal! The good doesn't outweigh the bad! You can feed me all the excuses and lies you want, but I know that you know everything. You know why this is happening, you probably planned things around, I wouldn't be surprised if you arranged for my dorm life after Ron left to be a living HELL! Everything that's going on, it's all your fault! Now I'm stuck in this crisis, ALL THANKS TO YOU!"

Suddenly making his move, Val leapt in the air and landed perfectly on the guard rails on the edge of the floor. Had he lost his balance, he would have fallen either right back on the floor he was standing on, or several stories below. He wouldn't survive the fall. He didn't stagger or lose his balance, keeping his eyes glued to the girl confronting him. She didn't appear amused; to Kim he was a total show off.

"Could be," was his response, "but you're way off the mark. Are you done?"

Kim fell onto her knees. She knew she was in a rut, but she didn't think it was this bad. She just let herself breathe. It wasn't like her to snap like that, she told herself.

Val continued on, walking back and forth on the rails. "If I had a form a hypothesis, however, my guess is either, A) They probably consider you just as much of a threat as I am, since I told you everything I knew about them. Revenge? Perhaps. Or B) They got tired of hunting me after all this time."

Kim finally raised her head, ignoring the latter reason. "Revenge? You told me the bloodline was cut. Brown's two sons died, and her husband passed long before then. I thought it was all over."

"Yes, the Bosses are no more. I destroyed the source but the influence still lives on, just as predicted. Since you are somewhat involved with me, rivals in combat, it's easy for the fools in the media to think you're working with me. When it comes to the green, no one cares for accuracy, pride or dignity. These days anyone will take the credit of ruining the so-called legendary teen hero, especially if there's a huge price on her head for no reason whatsoever."

"You can't be serious."

"Since when am I not?"

A brief silence filled the room for some time as the two stared at each other.

"So you think I'm really behind all of this?" he asked.

"You're telling me you're not?"

"While I had anticipated something like this would happen a long time ago, believe me when I say this, it was not my intention for this to happen to you. What I told you back then was no act, but the truth in its pure form. You won't be seeing anything like that ever again in your life, believe me."

Kim kept still. "Why should I believe any of what you just said? You're not exactly an honest person."

He lightly shrugged. "You've got me there."

"I figure you always know what's going on, especially that Wade's been arrested. Even if you're not behind this, which I doubt, you definitely have some connection."

Val shook his head. "I suppose they really are that desperate, to arrest him."

"Well, I have to say if they wanted to cripple the team, they would stop Wade's operations. I'm kind of surprised no one else did it before," Kim thought out loud.

Val didn't respond, his thoughts being elsewhere. He was quick to shove it off when he realized that Kim noticed.

The two stared at each other briefly before Kim broke the silence. "I'm going to prove my innocence by taking you in."

Val scoffed loudly. "Let me guess, Betty told you that by taking me in that they'll let you off? HAH! Don't be a fool, Kimberly Ann! Taking me in won't solve anything! Oh sure, they'll have the person they're really after, but if anything they'll seize the opportunity as taking out two birds with one stone. You can't be _that_ blind not to see this! Assuming that's what this is all about!"

"Even if I prove that I had nothing to do with turning the Senator into a vegetable?"

"Even if you prove that you had nothing to do with turning the Senator into a vegetable," he mimicked. "It's not just me they want, my dear. You know confidential information, too. You know what I know - Top secret information that could cripple parts of the world if they're exposed; plans designed to clone and manipulate the human species, weapons that would destroy countries, _lives_…"

Kim narrowed her eyes. "No thanks to you!"

He turned around. "It's better to spread the knowledge than for it to be lost…"

When Val turned back around to face Kim, she was standing on the handlebars as well. Like Val, she was able to maintain a perfect balance. They both made it look too easy.

Val scoffed at the sight. "Didn't I tell you before not to mimic everything you see me do? Surely you remember what happened the last time."

Kim cracked her knuckles just by clenching her fists. "I couldn't forget no matter how much I tried. Thanks to you I couldn't join the Upperton Cheerleading Squad, join any sports or other extracurricular activities!"

Val rolled his eyes as he performed several backflips, distancing himself from Kim. "If you need to blame someone for your actions, blame yourself. If I had been at fault, I would have done you a favor. You don't need to do such things to become a better person." He had his own reasons for hating cheerleaders and the very concept of it, and Kim was well aware of those reasons. "Attention and competition can bring out the worst in people, you know."

She disagreed. "That was so not the reason I wanted to join! I was only going to join the cheer squad to work on my aerobics and use them to save the world, and hel-"

Val interrupted the moment by letting out a loud maniacal laugh, one that lasted for about twenty seconds straight before he regained his calm. "You really think your 'cheer skills' are responsible for saving the world?" he asked, astounded.

"I couldn't do what I can today if it weren't for what I learned as the cheerleading captain," she replied adamantly.

Val let out a smile, clearly in disbelief. "And to think I once thought of you as intelligent… Kim, it was your own self ambition that allowed you to perform and do what you can, not practicing a series of pathetic drills! No one can teach you to become a leader. No one can give you the drive to learn and perform abilities you never dreamed of. You and I were _born_ with it; it wasn't something some petty after school activity could give us! After all, I can do everything you can and more, and I never even touched a pom-pom or joined a club full of wannabes. And besides, what was it that allowed you to get on the squad in the first place? Your own drive to succeed. You give far too much credit to your cheerleading," he groaned. "It may be responsible for your aerobic skills, but that's it."

Most of the time it was hard for Kim to believe that Val was the same age as she was and that he also went to high school, one that was only fifty miles away from hers. Even though he graduated a year early and came in a year late, with the way he talked and what he was able to do, she had a hard time believing he walked around his own halls. Rare moments like these it was clear he was still a teenager.

"You don't know how wrong you are…" Kim told him.

Val only chuckled as he spun a full circle on one foot. "Kimberly Ann… you are such a drone." In Val's language, drone was another word for 'tool', and Kim knew it by the glare in her eyes. He merely scoffed at her reaction with his arms crossed. "Cute. Really cute. But you haven't done cheerleading since high school and you can still do what you do. I honestly hope you weren't considering a career in it."

"A career? No, of course not… but don't think that after the incident I just sat in front of the computer and did nothing. I took some Judo classes and kept working out."

"It's good to know that you're not out of shape. But with all the college stress you've been going through, you really don't need another thing to stress out about. You really should give yourself a break. You really owe it to yourself."

Kim growled. "Don't tell me what to do or how to think!"

"Of course, because you know what's best for yourself either way…" he replied sarcastically. "And that's why you're in this rut. You put so much blame on me, but really, it's all you. I warned you about Stoppable, in which I had nothing to do with his disappearance. I warned you about Upperton being a bad place, and you blame me?"

"Not Upperton, no, but-"

"So I was the one who finally knocked you off that pedestal, your little perfect happy-go-lucky life. I was the one who finally gave you a losing streak, I was the one who showed you all of your inner weaknesses, all which you still haven't fixed or gotten over, and I showed you a new way to view not just _your_ life but life in general. Is it really that hard to accept all of that?"

"Shut it," she snapped. "The last thing I need are more of your lectures, Val." She got into a fighting stance again. "Listen, I came here because I know you had something to do with this, and I don't believe half of what you just told me about what's going on lately. Let's get something straight, Val. You're going to regret revealing yourself…"

Val raised an eyebrow. "Hmm… now we're resorting to petty threats, I see."

Kim wasn't listening. "I'm not going to let you get away this time. This ends here and now! I'm going to take you out and take you in!"

Val rolled his eyes. "'Take you out' and 'take you in'? Did you really just use those in the same sentence?"

Kim grunted. "Oh, be quiet."

Val shook his head. "Just when I think I'm underestimating you, I wind up overestimating you. Yet again you simply put the blame on me and paint me as the bad guy."

"I just want you to leave me alone and get out of my life. You've done nothing but help ruin my relationship and make everything miserable. Just because there's no way on earth a girl would date you, doesn't mean you should ruin those of us who actually can!"

Val narrowed his eyes. "Excuse me?"

"Yeah, I said it. Just because people like me can actually get dates, doesn't mean you should go out of your way to mess everything up for those of us who actually can!"

Add one tablespoon of Kim's comment, a quart of Val's past love life, and you get one _extremely_ pissed off super ninja. Anyone would have seen that provoking Val about love was a death wish. Depending on how she handled it, it could have been a smart move on Kim's behalf, or the absolute most dumbest-assed thing she's ever done.

"You stuck up little prick, no wonder everyone hated you in Upperton! You're so damn superficial, you know that?" he angrily asked. "To hell with this! I'm going to kick your ass!"

Kim almost freaked out for a second there, but kept her cool. "I'm ready."

Val laughed. "Hah! You don't have a chance in hell of beating me, even with that outfit you're wearing."

"Arrogant as well, I see," Kim said coolly.

Val scoffed loudly. "_Arrogant?_ No, it's not that I'm arrogant. I know what I'm capable of, but I don't think so highly of myself, unlike you. But that's not the point. Don't think I'm not seeing past your tough girl act. I know the hell you're going through, the hell that you call your life. You do realize that your state of mind will affect your fighting capability, severely I might add?"

"That's not going to stop me. Do you have any idea how long I've been waiting for this moment? I'm not going to go easy on you."

"So you're going to give it your best?" Val asked, then let out a huge yawn. "Doesn't sound like much to offer with the way you've turned out. Please prove me wrong."

"You mean you're actually going to fight and not run away?"

"Did you miss the memo? I said I was going to kick your ass. After all, the circumstances are different this time around. Ron's missing… he might not even be alive, and Wade's been thrown in jail."

"You think that's going to make things worse on my end? I can hold my own no matter what, especially against the likes of you."

Instead of saying anything, Val stopped walking on the rail bar and started leaning to the side towards the floor. It looked like he was about to fall on his left arm, but when his body was parallel to the floor, he thrusted himself off the rail and did a cartwheel in mid-air. He landed perfectly on his feet, his face calm the whole time. He was hardly convinced of what Kim just told him.

She mimicked exactly what he did, landing on her feet with grace.

Out of nowhere, Val let out an enraged yell and the sound of an explosion could be heard. Pieces of metal could be heard and debris was flying everywhere. Kim leapt out of the way just in time. When the smoke cleared, Kim could see that Val had attempted to strike her with a whip and nearly destroyed the floor with it. As usual, he had a rather dramatic stance, but it didn't matter because he knew how to use the weapon.

Kim quickly got up and brushed some of the screws off her shoulder.

Val smirked. "Good to see your reflexes haven't suffered any."

"That whip again?" Kim asked. "I wish I could say you were the first to attack me with one."

Val laughed. "I'd hate to prove you wrong _again_, but this is no ordinary weapon!"

Holding the handle firmly with his right hand with the tip in his left, he cracked the whip in his hands. It suddenly started glowing an eerie green color. He didn't need to say anything to tell Kim what the deal was - His left arm and hand was purely mechanical, and the green glow as a familiar one, even though Kim couldn't put her finger on it. If he held the glowing tip in his mechanical non-human hand, this meant that it had some sort of negative effect on human skin.

"Oh, fun. Illegal weapons again, I see?" Kim asked coolly.

Val shrugged his shoulders. "You know me, I'm all about banned, forbidden and illegal weapons. Makes up for your battle suit and every weapon you've got on you," he pointed out. That was one thing that changed about Val the couple of years Kim knew him. He started to believe in a fair fight, almost like it was a moral. He then started to chuckle intensely. "You increase your defense, I increase my offense. You know, it has been a long time since we've engaged with each other in a one-on-one fight… So you really think you can take me down…?"

"I'm not leaving here without your body being dragged behind me."

Val only let out a sinister laugh at Kim's threat. "You can't leave a place in security lockdown," he reminded her. "Regardless, let's see how much the teen hero has really fallen."

"Oh really?" Kim asked, pointing to Val's coat. "With all that weight holding you down?"

Val chuckled at Kim's joke, only to turn it against her. "I should ask you the same question."

Kim grunted when she got the joke.

He had cracked the whip in his hands again, getting into his fighting stance – none. Kim in exchange got back into her own fighting stance. The two had smirked at each other. Kim was adamant on ending this so-called relationship, and Val had finally accepted a challenge in over a year.

"Bring it on, Valia…"

"Have at you, Kimberly Ann…"

The two of them let out enraged yells as they rushed towards each other.

Meanwhile, a suspicious-looking fly landed on the rail where Val was once standing. It was a mechanical one, with the letter 'D' on it.

The two teenagers weren't alone.


	6. 5: The Dance of Illusions

This next chapter will be confusing as heck if you don't understand the floor layout. Starting on the southwest side of the room is the main entrance to the room. On the southeast side is a platform elevator, not the kind you see at malls. Seperating the two is a wall ending about five feet into the room. The west side is where the area of the floor ends, where the guard rails/ handle bars are. The east side is just a wall, and the main computer is on the northwest.

Yeah, the chapter is dauntingly long, and all it is is a long, _long _brutal fight. Might want to pick out a loud song (preferably instrumental and long) to read with.

**Chapter 5: The Dance of Illusions**

* * *

Drakken and Shego were paying close attention to the large monitor in the room, the first time in years. Both were awkwardly silent as they watched the events unfold. Normally, Drakken would have boasted about his genius in creating the fly camera, even though Shego knew full well it wasn't his idea and would have pointed it out just to knock him off his pedestal. Profiling…

Instead, they paid attention to the screen almost if their lives depended on it. They had their focus on Kim as always, but this time they were much, much more interested in Ryan. Yes, he was a part of Drakken's plan, whatever that was, but neither Drakken nor Shego ever saw him engage in combat other than videos from old archives. Valia didn't choose to fight Kim when he was involved in the Circle of Blood or his search for the relics. For someone who was considered a much higher threat than every one of Kim's usual opponents, they were curious why this was. Shego wanted to know why her name was taken off the arch-rival list of Kim's GJ online profile, and Drakken was no less surprised, even though he was still listed as Kim's arch-foe.

For now, they and every henchman in the building were watching a fight that would be long and brutal.

* * *

When Kim said that this was going to be the final fight, she usually meant it.

The two had charged at each other with full force yelling to their heart's content.

Val was the first to make his move. It appeared at first that he was going to strike with his glowing green whip, but instead let out a left hook, far too early to hit Kim. She ran right past the mechanical hand, mocking him as their noses lined up.

"You missed."

"Have I?"

Not even realizing it, Kim found herself flying in the air. Had she paid more attention to the ground, she would have seen that Val stopped, went low and let out his left leg right after the punch. It was more than obvious now that it was meant to distract her, and it did. Kim's running momentum had sent her flying into the dark corner of the room. The area was pure in darkness, though the sounds of debris or metallic objects could be heard upon her impact. Val couldn't tell what it was even with the glow of his whip, but he kept his guard, expecting Kim to charge out of there.

Something came out of the darkness, but it wasn't Kim. Instead, it was three rapidly approaching and body-sized pipes thrown at an angle parallel to the floor. One was aimed at the head, another at the neck, and the last at the waist. Val leapt in the air and also turned his body parallel to the floor and spun himself like a screwdriver. Still armed with his whip, he used his spinning momentum in his favor and struck at Kim with impending speed. The entire corner turned green, giving him a clear visual of Kim leaping out of the way. He didn't take a second to observe any of the damage that was done.

Val was extremely agile in his defense, and his offense was no different. As Kim was flying in the air towards the wall, he spun himself and made an attempt to strike Kim again, only to miss her foot by centimeters. The powerful blow of the wall was enough to knock Kim off, but she used it in her favor to send herself onto the pole that separated the entrance from the elevator. Unfortunately, the second she landed Val had already struck the same pole just above her head. Again, it knocked Kim off and this time she wasn't able to use it to boost any kind of jump. It knocked her straight to the floor, but fortunately her battle suit absorbed all the damage. She quickly got onto her feet as if nothing had happened.

"You're going to have to do better than th-!"

Kim stopped talking when she realized Val wouldn't stop for her to talk. Again, he struck at her feet and missed. More whipping ensued, and even though Kim was able to evade the entire time, she couldn't believe how quick he was with this weapon. Leaping from wall to wall, and even at one point to the ceiling, she couldn't stay in one place for a second before getting attacked. It wasn't as if Val was off on his aim, either. The whip wouldn't strike its intended target immediately, and even so Kim was barely able to get out of the way.

And again, when she was running on the wall, she was knocked off by a nearby blow. Before Val could take advantage of the situation and strike as she was down, she rolled backward and did a handspring just as the whip cracked. As she landed near the entrance, she was glad she did. Val destroyed the portion of the floor even further.

He shook his head. "Having a hard time keeping up?"

Kim didn't answer.

Instead of replying with words, Val crossed his arms and bent his knees, almost as if he was ready to charge. This gave Kim a clear signal that this was exactly what he was about to do, and before she even knew it, he was spinning at her like a torpedo at full speed with whip in hand, spinning like a helicopter blade. It didn't give her any time to think, and that was more than enough to develop an escape plan. Not even knowing how to react, Kim turned around, ran up onto the door, and somersaulted herself backward over Val and the whip. Just barely. Chills ran up her spine as she felt the heat from the green weapon near her back.

Her troubles didn't end there. She landed right on her feet, only to see that Val was looking straight at her with both his feet planted into the wall. He let out a malicious laughter as he thrusted himself off the wall and dove at Kim like a helicopter blade from hell. She dove out of the way, only to do the same again and again without even thinking. Val didn't give her any space and intended to keep it that way, until he finally hit Kim. However, he didn't hit her with the whip, but instead dove at her and head-butted her abs, knocking her right on her back like a bag of bricks.

Even though Kim was starting to lose her grasp of what was going on, she knew she would feel this one in the morning. Again, the battle suit absorbed the blow, but it still hurt a lot. If she didn't know better, she would have sworn that someone broke the record for the fastest baseball pitch and hit her straight in the gut.

Val also took some pain and rescinded his onslaught, observing his opponent as she tried to pick herself off the ground.

He didn't bother to rub his head. "What's wrong, K? Break a nail?"

Kim did a handspring to get herself back on her feet and continue the fight. What she saw in front of her made her wish she stayed on the ground.

Again, Val was already on the move. Just as before, he was spinning his body like a torpedo and extended the whip out, flying at her. However, he was moving much more slowly. The diameter of the whip's movement was somehow greatly extended, allowing Kim absolutely no room to evade, unless she wanted to jump over the rail. It hit the wall, it hit the rail, the floor and the ceiling. Even worse, each crack of the whip somehow kept Val suspended in mid-air, allowing an endless movement on his part. Kim was like the oblivious insect in the yard, and Val was the lawnmower slowly coming her way.

She tried not to panic, but she did. If only Ron was here then he could think of something, right? Well, perhaps not, but he'd provide enough distraction for Kim to think.

Suddenly, it hit her. Staying on the defense would only get her killed, but she realized that she should take the offense. The whip was still approaching and leaving her without a place to move, putting her back again against the sealed entrance. But the whip wasn't important, but the one who wielded it. Val was completely vulnerable, getting a complete rush out of spinning so much. Normally one would have been amazed that he managed to keep his focus, but Kim knew better. She could tell by closely looking at Val that he had his eyes closed. It was an attempt for his vision not to get blurry or dizzy. It was perfect.

Because he was high in mid-air, Kim again had to resort to running on the door and leaping off of it. But this time she was going in for the attack with a flying punch aimed straight for Val's nose.

However, he clearly heard Kim's grunt as she leapt off the door and stopped his attack. Seeing that Kim was coming at him in mid-air, he used whatever momentum was left in him to attack Kim again with his weapon.

"You are so screwed," he said with a smile.

Not quite. He narrowly missed her, and just when it looked like Kim's fist was going to pound him, he shifted his head like a thousand times before, and again Kim's fist hit nothing but thin air. But it turned out that she didn't intend to punch him. She grabbed his shoulder, using it as leverage to slam her knee straight into his face, push him behind her, and jump off his head with both feet. Of course, she kicked as hard as she could with the last blow, sending her onto the other side of the room. Val on the other hand was sent a few feet below, eating nothing but dirty and old metal.

All done in mid-air.

But it was far from over and Kim knew it. She got into a defensive stance as Val slowly picked himself up, spitting out a mist of blood and what appeared to be a screw without a sharp tip.

A sly smile made its way onto Kim's face. "So not."

Her smile quickly went away as Val turned towards her. And he was laughing. He almost lost his balance too. Kim thought it was because of the blow, but it was the fact that he was a bit dizzy from the move earlier.

"Hah!" He pointed to Kim with the whip. "I suppose there's still a bit of fight in you! What a pleasant surprise, just when I was beginning to wonder if your technique consisted only of 'rolling out of the way'!"

After he was done laughing, he again went on the offensive, attempting to hit Kim with the whip over and over again. But the two remained in their positions. The range of Val's whip had gotten much greater, but at the cost of speed. But it wasn't enough for Kim to attempt to get into close range and knock the weapon from his hand. It still gave Kim the advantage, leaping over it, ducking under it, and sometimes turning her side. It wasn't long before Val realized this and changed his aim.

A loud crack echoed the entire place shortly after, and if not for the Core, the place would have been dead silent.

Val appeared somewhat distraught, while Kim had a smirk on her face. She had actually managed to catch the tip of the glowing whip just as it was about to hit her shoulder. No doubt the suit absorbed the pain. But there was more to it.

"Not bad, Val, but can you make this weapon any more obvious to see in the dark?" Kim taunted. She would have had a much harder time avoiding it if she wasn't able to see it. In this light an ordinary whip might have been able to take her down for the count.

Her opponent didn't immediately respond; trying to observe what was going on. It didn't take Val long to come to a realization, which he acknowledged as a smile slowly curved its way onto his lips. "So your battle suit is clearly immune to the whip's effects. I should've known."

"Duh."

He quickly pulled the whip back, and because Kim had a firm grip on it, she was almost taken along for the ride. She let it go just as she lost her balance, able to avoid falling flat on her face. The weapon stopped glowing as Val rolled it all up and put it back somewhere deep in his coat. He stood casually as if nothing happened, not even with a sweat on his face.

"Good. You've overcome your fear. Now for the next phase."

Kim rolled her eyes as she got into a fighting stance. "Just what is with you acting like you're some kind of mentor?"

Val only continued to stand casually, again not needing a fighting stance. He lent his hand outward, instructing her to bring it on. "Come on, Kimberly Ann… You know you want me."

That was his way of a welcome invitation, and Kim gladly accepted.

* * *

"Wow."

"Wow? Is that all you can say, Shego? I haven't seen anything like it since, ever!"

"Shut up, this is getting good."

"Popcorn?"

"Definitely…"

The two were soon disappointed with what they saw next.

* * *

Kim had charged at Val at full force, but just when she was within a certain distance, she stopped. No attacks, no devices, nothing. One thing she never forgot about her adversary was that for him, the deadliest weapon was himself. He was mostly defensive but his offensive would usually come in the form of a counterattack, and one blow would be more than enough to take out anyone. Anyone who knew Kim wouldn't be surprised or fazed because they knew she was also capable of this, but Val was on a much higher level, another league but Kim refused to believe it. Of course, she knew from her own experience, and from minutes ago, not to rush into a fight with him.

Val smirked as he noticed Kim was in thought. "Careful. I wouldn't want you to hurt yourself," he said as he pointed to his own head.

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt."

"Then put up or shut up."

Finally, Kim made her move. She knew that to keep herself from getting hurt in close range combat with him, she had to mix up her styles. Instead of going in with a punch or kick, she leapt in the air and did a cartwheel right at Val. Easily seeing that her both of her feet were aimed at him, he ran under Kim and shot one of his legs upward. Still in the air, Kim grabbed Val's foot, which almost took him off balance, and used the momentum from her cartwheel in an attempt to kick him in the face. Instead, Val twisted his body. Kim, still in the air and holding his foot, realized that if she held on any longer she would have been slammed to the floor. So she let go, and both teens were soon on their backs. They both did a handspring to get on their feet.

"You've gotten rusty, Val," Kim said as she got into a kick-boxing stance.

Val patted the dirt from his shoulders. "Speak for yourself."

The battle raged on, but there was no victor. Kim sometimes went on an offensive, only to be countered by Val, and she would attempt to counter his counter, and both would escape from it. When Val decided to go on the offensive, Kim strictly played defensive.

There was good reason, too. Like Kim, he also chose to avoid simple punches and kicks. His agility allowed him to dash across the room in less than a second. Mix the momentum with a spinning punch, elbow, knee or kick and you were talking pain if you were on the receiving end. He ran across the room with a punch, in which Kim leapt out of the way, and would move in her direction again, just for the same to happen. Kim even tried to jump on the rail bars and jump onto the catwalk where she snuck in, but Val even followed her up there. After leaping off of it, she was ambushed by this tedious move over and over. Three more times and she finally developed a plan, and she didn't know how it didn't hit her sooner. Like his spinning whip attacks, he was completely vulnerable. Just avoid whatever limb he lunged at her with and strike him. As he did to her, she could use his own momentum against him.

Val was already charging at Kim as she realized this, so as he dove in with a swipe that would have struck her abs if she stood still, Kim merely leapt in the air with her knee out.

It made contact, but not as she expected.

Valia wasn't blind. Because Kim readied herself too early, he saw the attack right in front of him, literally. So even though Kim made contact, he defended himself by pressing crossed arms against her knee. He pushed them down as hard as he could, sending Kim crashing into the floor. Well, almost. Anticipating this, Kim did a handspring before she even hit the floor but leapt to the side.

Out of habit, however, Kim went in with a spinning low sweep. In the past, she would always attack just as she got up.

In this case, it was a bad idea. A very bad idea.

Just as the foot was about to hit him, Val practically stomped on the foot, if not for the battle suit's protection this would show Kim a new level of hurt, trapping her in place. The next thing Kim knew, he kicked her straight in the face with his other foot. But it didn't end there. He had her trapped and she was like a slingshot, flying back from the kick but came right back only to be kicked again and again. And most of the time Kim's head would hit the ground after being knocked back. Finally, after ten successive kicks, Val shot his body upward and let out a kick with each leg, both in a circular motion, one followed by the other. One knocked Kim in the air, and another hit her just as her feet left the ground. The second blow was enough to send Kim toward the elevator platform.

"Sucks to be on the receiving end of your own technique, isn't it, Kimberly Ann?"

One of the ways Kim was able to beat Val before - or at least land several blows on his face - was to step on his foot, put all of her weight on it to trap him, and bombard him with a fury of punches straight to the head. Each blow would force him to stagger, just allowing for another one. Unfortunately, it was the only weakness she knew of.

Kim took her time with getting on her feet, since her head was the only area of her body the battle suit didn't protect. She knew it, her opponent knew it. But she still got onto her feet and got onto a stance.

"I told you, I'm not losing this fight." She refused to give up.

"In the position you're in?"

Kim wasn't exactly aware of it, but she was in a bad place, perhaps the worst. She was trapped in the southeast corner of the room where the elevator was, and there was a wall that split the south area of the room in two, a divider between the main door and the elevator that blocked her left side. So really, she had little to no room on her sides to move in, and taking the elevator down wasn't exactly going to help her in the fight, and Val was already blocking the way out. Kim didn't have much time to think, and her head was already hurting a lot as it was. The walls of the entire area weren't exactly solid. What she didn't know was that the wall to her right was actually a massive, massive supercomputer, but with several crevices with light shining through, as well as other mechanical details. The work of a designer, really, but it blended all too well with the floor, the wires hanging from the ceiling, and everything else. However, Kim noticed something different when she took a closer look at the wall. Part of it was sticking out, two long, long poles that had several other perpendicular poles in-between.

Someone actually hung a ladder on the wall, and the timing couldn't be more convenient. It only took her a second to realize all of this after Val asked his question.

"Oh, definitely."

Kim started to dart towards him, and just when it looked like she was about to let out her fist or leg, she instead turned her body parallel to the floor, grabbed the steps of the ladder just like monkey bars, and tried to shove her foot into Val's mouth. Noticing that her eyes shifted focus from him to the wall, he caught on. But she didn't just attack him with one kick; Kim pretty much used the ladder like monkey bars, moving from 'step' to 'step' with her hands, spinning herself with each one and trying to kick Val with every twist and turn. She was extremely fast, to the point where Val had to resort to constant back somersaults on his part. It wasn't long before they reached the opposite end of the room, back in the northeast corner where Val had knocked Kim into the pipes.

Realizing that Kim wasn't going to stop, Val kicked up a pipe from the floor and caught it, and attempted to strike her with it. She wasn't blind, either. Even though she was spinning like a top, she kept focused on her opponent, and caught the pipe between her feet. She pulled it away, and that was one thing she was always good at even when fighting Val; she could knock the weapons out of her enemy's hands. Kim landed on her feet, releasing the pipe from them before landing on the ground, and caught it in her hand. By this time, Val had already gotten himself one as well, and the two engaged in a pipe duel.

When it came to weapons, Val was usually on the offensive, and this was no exception. He swung it around in many directions like a staff, spinning it in his fingers at the same time. It was a guessing game, but every time he delivered a hard swing or strike, Kim blocked Val's pipe with hers. Fortunately for her, she knew how to handle staff-like weapons. Her defense with these weapons were just as good as his offense, although he handled it with much more grace. Kim tried to take advantage of that, since grace, while pleasing to the eye, would often leave someone open and vulnerable, something she learned from an ally of hers some time back. Again, it wouldn't work on him.

It wasn't long before it got old, so the two decided just to go at it at full force. Kim would attack, Val would defend. He would attack, she would defend. Eventually, they both tried to strike each other at the same time, and actually knocked their pipes out of each other's hands.

Not even taking a second to think about what just happened, Val flew at Kim with his knee. She blocked it the same way he did earlier, crossing her arms and using them as a shield, but she couldn't push downward and send him flying to the floor, because he still had one foot on it. Unlike her, he didn't allow his entire body to go airborne. Val noticed that Kim had stopped to think and decided to take advantage of the situation. He spun his body, confusing Kim, and let out a fierce spinning kick. Kim still had her arms up as he performed the move, but it was enough to send her skidding against the floor into the southwest corner between the rails and the main door.

When she came to, Val was already in front of her, and she simply went on the offensive. She threw punches and kicks, but all were avoided with swift but simple movements on Val's part; an evasive move Kim was all too familiar with, since this was what put Val in the dangerous category the first time they fought. He was incredibly agile in swiftly moving side to side and simply moving an arm out of the way. But instead of grabbing her hands and placing her in a bad position, he actually didn't attack. Instead, he simply left Kim to exhaust herself. She caught on and stopped.

Val didn't seem too amused, but he chuckled. "Kimberly Ann, my dear! Haven't you learned anything in this fight?"

Kim didn't understand what he was getting at. "What do you mean?"

"Mind your surroundings!"

Kim didn't realize that Val had slowly crept his foot under hers, and swept her off balance just as she noticed. She was knocked against the rail, which fell back like a door, leaving nothing separating Kim from below. She managed to keep from falling back, but she couldn't regain her balance, going back and forth on one foot. Looking down, she realized that it wasn't a long drop behind her. Instead, there was a series of stairs that led below. She didn't understand how she missed it before, even though her mind should have been in other places. Even though she wasn't going to fall to her death, she could still break her neck on the stairs.

She tried to put one hand on the wall, but it was too slippery. Actually, it was her suit. She tried to grab onto the rail nearby, but Val managed to slap it aside. He was already right in front of her, and just like in the movies, his finger was nearing her. A slight push would send her tumbling, and before long, he pressed his finger against the bottom of Kim's neck, and she was sent falling backward.

But she didn't go alone. Just as she fell back, Kim managed to grab the collar of Val's shirt and took him along for the ride. It was a series of only ten steps, as it was designed zig-zag style for each flight. Both teens came down tumbling the first set of stairs, but Kim wrapped her arms around her head to protect that and her neck. Val on the other hand was without protection and hit his head quite a lot on the way down, and let out a painful cry as his spine collided with the guard rail. When he came to, he saw a fast oncoming foot headed his way. Almost as if nothing had happened, he grabbed Kim's foot, used it as leverage to push himself upward, and kicked Kim straight in the head as he held her foot. It only caused her to stagger, and Val used the time to get into a better position by running up the guard rail of the stairs. He was back in the upper area before long, but was breathing heavily, holding his head.

Kim saw this as the opening she needed, and without a moment to think she also jumped and ran on the guard rail up to the upper level. It appeared as if she was going to punch Val in the face, which he was ready to grab and counter, but instead Kim grabbed the collar of his shirt again and kept running. She not only slammed the back of his skull into the wall between the main door and elevator, but into the wall right after that. She didn't let go. She turned around and ran as fast as she could, slamming her rival's spine into the rails. But it was too much force and Val went flying over.

This time, Kim let go, but only to grab his hand.

It took Val some time to realize what was going on. When he came to the first thing he saw was the long drop below, then noticed Kim was holding his hand. He seemed somewhat surprised. "Saving my life again? You truly are a doll, K."

Kim narrowed her eyes. "Oh, I'm not done with you yet."

Kim's choice of words was enough to appall him. She quickly yanked Val up back on her level, jammed her available elbow straight into his gut, and then threw him across the room. He tumbled on the floor like a tire out of a car crash, his spine again taking the blow to the wall. This time he had a hard time getting onto his feet.

The light of the core gave his opponent a rather creepy silhouette as she slowly approached him.

"When I told you that I came here to take you down, I wasn't kidding," Kim quietly said. "I've been waiting six months for this moment, Valia Ryan. I've been waiting six months to finally take you down once and for all. I don't care what it takes; I'm going to hurt you so bad that you'll never want to see me ever again." Kim finally stopped when she was close to Val and grabbed him by the neck and stared into his glowing blue eyes.

He wasn't the least bit intimidated. He only shook his head in disappointment. "Not that you've ever been a delicate flower in the past, but, my… you've changed."

"Last time I checked, doing the usual thing didn't work on you."

Kim was referring to her usual method of taking down bad guys. Her cheerleading aerobics, using equipment and weapons, and using any and everything in the room; while she hardly ever lost in her many years of saving the world from the likes of Monkey Fist, Shego, Killigan and Drakken, it was hard to do this against someone who she thought was more or less equally skilled as she was. The only way she knew to take Val down - when he didn't take her on in a vehicle or with weapons - was strictly with brute force in hand-to-hand combat, and she had to wait for an opening. Every other move he would easily evade and/ or counter. She couldn't fight him like everyone else.

"And it's like you said," she continued. "Nothing lasts forever." Kim originally meant this as using his words against him, but anyone else – Val included - would have taken it as something else.

Val shook his head. "So you're only motivated when you thirst for blood, now?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Even _I _know this isn't like you. But then again, this is anything but the first time I've seen this side of you. You're not doing this because it's the right thing to do. I haven't done you wrong-"

"You haven't done me wrong? Hello! Is anyone in there?" Kim started shaking him violently, banging his head against the wall repeatedly. "You helped ruin my relationship with Ron,…"

"Didn't have-anything to-do with the-separation…" he weakly moaned as his head was repeatedly slammed against the steel wall.

"… I couldn't do any of the things I did in high school…"

"No one-cares…"

"…, I'm in this mess because of you…"

"Already said-it wasn't my-intention…"

"WHY CAN'T YOU JUST GO AWAY?"

Kim finally finished it by slamming her palm into Val's face, embedding his head into the wall. It wasn't long before he lifelessly fell onto his face and blood was dripping to the floor below. When Kim noticed the same blood was all over her hands, she gasped. He was right; this wasn't like her at all. She wouldn't have done anything like this before. But the truth was, she did whenever Ron's life was on the ropes, almost all which involved Ryan. But there was another time, shortly before she met him.

* * *

"Wow, that is one angry Possible!" Drakken cried. He didn't know whether to be pleased or scared. He was probably both.

Shego wasn't amused at what she saw one bit, looking at her reflection on the monitor. The huge scar running down her left cheek didn't come out of nowhere.

* * *

Had she really changed so much?

Kim's thoughts were interrupted when something that felt like a train slammed into her face. It knocked her clear across the room, both her skull and spine letting out a sickening thud as she struck the guard rails. When she raised her head, she noticed that Val was on a knee with the palm of his metal hand extended out.

He was no longer smiling as he got up onto his feet. A small trail of blood was coming out of his lips, which got bigger as he got up. Instead of letting it come out as he talked, he swallowed the whole thing, his expression firm. "I would ask if you feel better now, but physically that's another story," he said as if nothing had happened.

Kim would have preferred it if he had stayed down. "Why would I feel better?"

He appeared to be in thought. "It all makes sense now. You've bottled up every ounce of anger throughout these last several months, and it's completely consumed you. Again, you learned nothing from our encounter at Bay City. And you've had no outlet whatsoever, not even your Judo classes could help you vent your anger. Every bad guy you still tried to fight after your separation got away before you could get your hands on them. If not for their own idiocy they'd be ruling the world."

* * *

Drakken glared at Shego. "Don't… say… anything."

Shego fluttered her eyes innocently. "What _ever_ are you talking about?"

"Don't think I'm buying any of that, Shego."

"_Everyone's refused a fight against you because they know you can't win. Yet I accept your challenge and you take all of your frustrations out on me. I'm flattered…" _The last remark from Val was clearly sarcasm. _"I'm glad I'm not Shego, there's no telling how many scars you'd give her."_

Shego was glaring at Drakken. "Don't… say it."

Drakken had a smug look written all over his face. "What? It might actually look good on you. It just _spells_ evil."

"Okay, if someone like Ryan gave it to me, since he might be a worthy opponent, sure. I don't mind losing to a worthy opponent. But Kimmie?"

"Don't remind me, you whined like a schoolgirl for a week…" Drakken quietly muttered, reminiscing on the first week of prison after the Diablo scare.

"_What_ was that?"

"Don't remind me, you took your frustrations out on me for a week?" he quickly and nervously answered.

"I thought it was two," Shego calmly replied.

Drakken let out a long relieved sigh. "I dunno, Shego. That scar you have on your face right now is _haaawwwwt_."

Shego's chair practically fell apart on her. It wasn't long before Drakken had his chair stolen from him, leaving him on the floor.

Words couldn't describe the look on Shego's face. "Did you… did you just… Was that a hit? Are you actually hitting on me?" She didn't know how to feel, but she was morbidly disturbed.

"No way," Drakken snapped, trying to take the chair back from her. "I read it on some internet forum. Thought it might make you feel better!"

"So some no-life internet geeks think the scar is hot?" she asked quietly, then yelled in Drakken's ear, "Thanks for the useless information!"

"But you have to admit, it makes you look phat!"

Shego's eyes widened in shock. "Oh, that's it. You're dead."

So much for watching the rest of the fight. Shego lunged her fiery fists at Drakken, who was barely able to avoid becoming Roast Drew. He ran for his life.

"Shego, you know what I meant! P-H-A-T!"

"I know!"

Drakken blinked a few times before it hit him. "Wait, if you know, then why are you trying to kill me?"

"Don't think I didn't hear what you said the first time! I did NOT whine like a schoolgirl for a week!"

He was screwed now. "Oh, snap."

* * *

Back at the Tri-City electric plant, Kim was still trying to get on her feet. "I wish I could say this whole thing has been relieving, but it's not."

"Too bad. This might have been a much more enjoyable fight."

"This isn't a dance, you know."

"Even if you told me that five minutes ago, I wouldn't see the difference."

After taking her time, Kim finally got onto her feet and resumed her stance. It was apparent she was growing exhausted.

Val sighed. "I forgot that you're not the type who knows when to give up."

"It's called determination," Kim retorted.

"It's called desperation," he countered.

Kim then made her move. She shot her grappling hook from her right glove and swung her arm to her left side at the same time. It started low and curved upward, forcing Val to simply move aside. It latched onto the third floor platform, hidden high in the darkness, and Kim pulled on it as hard as she could. Not only did the entire catwalk come crashing down, but there were also several steel barrels on it that came along for the ride. Seeing that it was about to fall on him, Val quickly took three steps forward to avoid the platform, but he still had two barrels about to fall on him.

Instead of having his attention upward, he looked at Kim with a finger up on his metal hand. It moved back in forth, in a 'nuh uh' fashion. Without missing a beat he pulled out his whip with his left hand, wrapped it around both of the barrels, released the whip, grabbed it with his right hand, and pulled on it, hurling both barrels them at Kim. She simply stepped aside as they flew past her, twirling herself in the process, showing off no less than her enemy. Because her back was exposed, Val sprinted across the floor and attempted to slam his knee into her, but Kim felt the wind and ducked low.

Val actually tripped over Kim and flew right over her, past the rails in the same fashion the barrels did, but Kim did not even attempt to save him. But she did look over after she got up. She didn't see that Val grabbed one of the supporting poles from his whip, using it like a rubber band. By the time Kim's eyes lingered over the rail, he shot himself upward with a ferocious elbow that knocked Kim straight across the room.

The same time he landed, she got onto her feet. She absolutely refused to throw in the towel.

"What do you hope to accomplish, Kim? You're worn out."

Kim was starting to grow exhausted. "Speak for yourself. It's over, Val."

Val seemed amused as Kim's comment, chuckling to himself. "I see we've come to an agreement. That was quite a warm up, but I'm tired of holding back and going easy on you."

Kim's eyes widened. "You did _not_ just say 'warm up'."

"Do I need to say it again? Come on, did you really think _that_ was all I had to offer? I thought you knew me better than that."

Kim only grunted, unsure what to think of it. She was already battered enough as it was, and Val was standing in front of her with only two drops of sweat on his face. He was bleeding from at least two areas on his head, but they were actually more minor than Kim was led to believe. As always, he handled it as if they weren't there at all.

"Tell me something, Kim. Did you honestly hope that pissing me off with that shallow comment of yours… did you really think it would give you the upper hand in combat?"

"Yeah, I actually did. No one knows how many times you've told me that mood affects how you fight."

"Fool. You only use emotions your opponent is neither familiar nor comfortable with!" Valia embraced his anger and hate in order to overcome them and not be consumed by them, but it was arguable whether or not he succeeded. Needless to say, it didn't affect his performance for the worse. "I hope I won't need to remind you again, but _this_ is who I am…"

Kim didn't even blink before Val ran up to her and slammed his fist into her gut, knocking all of the wind out of her. It wasn't the first time he managed to do this to her, and even then she was armed with the suit. Soon after that he tried to grab her collar, but accidentally pulled the zipper of the suit, and it didn't go in its intended direction. He meant to pull Kim back, but instead he pulled the zipper downward. He instantly let go when he realized this, right before it was showing anything questionable. He had his thoughts on Kim's appearance and curves just like any other boy would, but he was by no means sick, at least in a perverted way. Almost as if Kim didn't get hit by his fierce blow earlier, she pulled up the zipper and attempted to slap Val. Had she not, he would have said that he was sorry. But without missing a beat, he went right back to fight mode, grabbed her hand and pulled her his way. He pulled her so hard that she wound up running into him and flew back right onto the floor, as if running straight into a wall.

Val forced Kim onto her feet by grabbing her elbows and picking her up. Not allowing herself to become vulnerable, she grabbed Val's arms and shoved them aside, allowing for a clear opening. But just as she was going to attempt to shove her knee into his gut, an attempt to also knock the wind out of him, he did a reverse somersault kick on her. But that wasn't all. Kim's head was still flying back when he did another one, only this time his body went completely airborne. Because Val's foot struck Kim's chin, it sent her flying upward. But before her body started falling, he performed _another_ one, but this time pulled out his extendable staff for some leverage. So Kim was struck three times with three back somersault kicks before her body hit the ground. The last kick sent her into the center wall.

Kim slowly got onto her knees, only to be struck in the gut by one of Val's, knocking her into the stairs. She only flew down the first set, but Val leapt onto the handlebars and kicked Kim in her face over and over until there were no more stairs. There were four sets of stairs in all. Kim found herself underneath the main floor above her, but Val didn't even let her attempt to get up. He quickly grabbed one of Kim's arms and started spinning, swinging her in circles. As soon as he was starting to grow dizzy, he released her, but instead of flying into the wall, Kim was sent flying upward back to the metal grated floor above. The floor had already been severely weakened by his numerous whip acrobatics earlier in the fight, not to mention the big blow prior.

Because the floor was already weak as it was, Kim crashed straight through it and struck the wall nearby. Val used his whip like a grappling hook on the guardrails of the floor and shot himself back up to where most of the fight took place. Only this time, he didn't land near her. He landed _on_ her, digging his boots onto Kim's spine, popping it all over the place.

Inadvertently and unknownst to him, thanks to the suit absorbing the damage, he gave Kim a well-needed spine realignment. But the comfort was only temporary.

After that he walked off, curved his foot upward, catching Kim's neck in it and forcing her back on her feet, only to kick her with the same foot.

But Kim didn't stagger for long. She flew at Val faking a punch, and he bought it, moving behind her. Now his back was towards the wall in the middle of the room. Kim had a plan. As fast as she could, she tried to punch him repeatedly with everything at full swing. One of the advantages of the battle suit was that it would allow Kim to deliver extremely fast punches without affecting her muscle tissue and without her stamina affecting the rate at which she threw a punch. Of course, she could do this as long as she didn't take the suit off immediately or she'd suffer some wild cramps. This was one of the things she learned when she first tried it out, back when Wade warned her it was experimental (and still was today). Out of her own emotional rage in a fight against Shego on the night she got together with Ron, she let out a fury of punches, then completely let loose and unleashed an almost superhuman barrage of punches, one which sent her rival flying high into a wall when she first tried the suit on.

Kim had completely forgotten about this move, and she was going to attempt to try it again. But unlike Shego, Val didn't move side to side to avoid these swift punches. Instead, he slapped them aside, but it didn't throw off Kim's focus. She wouldn't stop. Then finally, she went into a berserker rage mode and fists were everywhere.

A loud crack was heard, and Kim couldn't believe it.

He caught it.

He actually managed to grab one of her fists with his left hand. The second he caught it, he pulled downward on it, twisting Kim's wrist, hard enough that the suit couldn't protect against the pain. Kim let out a painful cry, and Val took advantage of the moment and slammed Kim into the wall behind him, continuing to twist her arm. His lips came close to the back of her neck as he let out a disappointed frown on his lips.

"You've grown weak on me, Kimberly Ann!"

Kim continued to grunt and moan in pain, but it soon turned into grunts of frustration. Fortunately, her training in her Judo classes taught her to escape binds like this, so she twisted her arm in a peculiar way and managed to turn around to face Val. She managed to slam her head into his, slightly knocking him back. He didn't seem impressed. She was cornered in a bad place and without time to develop a plan, again she tried to go on the offensive.

But no matter what Kim threw at Val, he always countered it and sent the back of her head into the wall behind her. Two loud cracks with each of his blows. Kim would throw a punch, he would grab her fist and deliver a palm smash. She would throw a kick, he would grab her leg, charge at her and slam her into the wall. Knees had the same treatment, if she tried to strike at him with an elbow, he would strike her with one of his own. In fact, most of Val's counters would come strictly as elbow blows and shoulder slams. He would simply grab whatever limb Kim sent his way, and he would use all the strength he had in his body to deliver excruciating blows.

More often than not he would just grab the oncoming fist or foot and slam Kim into the floor. It was an embarrassing sight on Kim's behalf.

Even though her suit prevented her from taking the pain throughout her body, for the most part, it had one fatal weak spot: her head, as it was uncovered. Kim knew it, Val knew it. But the fight hadn't changed. No matter what Kim threw at him, she found herself either slammed back into the wall, or on the floor. And most of the time, she was either struck in the head or landed on it.

She even tried the stealth camouflage feature built in, but since her head didn't become invisible, it was useless.

There had been times in the past where Val had knocked out Kim just with one move, but like most fighters, he wasn't interested in simply winning the fight. He wanted a duel that was long and brutal – the ultimate dream of those who have fought all their lives. But Kim wasn't interested in such a thing.

Kim's own past regarding martial arts was a mystery, even to one who claimed to know everything in and out about her. People usually heard the same four stories: Story One was that she trained with some of the best fighters after saving or helping them in a time of need. Story Two was that she sparred with Ron after they got together and his own fighting skills were improving, clearly the work of his powers. Story Three was that Kim practiced martial arts as a kid to keep her busy during the summer. Story Four was that she made up her own moves based on what she saw in the movies or real life, and her cheerleading aerobics made things so much easier to learn. The truth was, all of them were true.

She knew how to fight and fight against some of the best, but she didn't consider herself a martial artist or a devoted practitioner, at least in comparison to those who dedicated their whole lives to it. Unlike her opponent she didn't exactly go through brutal exercises or methods to clear your mind. Meditation and all that; she didn't think she needed it. She kept her calm for the most part, and it wasn't needed to take on ninjas with flaming swords. Back then she thought it was all drama and theatrics.

In this case, it was becoming more and more obvious that she had the moves but not the mind. All this time later, Kim still had a hard time picturing Val in a ninja tunic, since she had only seen him with a gothic appearance, sans his Upperton HS yearbook pictures.

(Kim had Wade dig them up after Val had tricked her and Ron numerous times with disguises. In fact, contrary to what he told Kim on the Tower of Bay City, he didn't receive his scar in his days as a teen agent. The scar was nowhere to be seen in the photos. They could see with uber-advanced photo manipulation that he did use contacts to change the color of his eyes from blue to brown, but there was no use of makeup of any kind near his eye whatsoever.)

But Valia had the speed, even with a jacket that was full of weapons. He didn't exactly jump around everywhere in circles, at least in his fights with her, but everywhere else he was like a frog that had been dumped in a can of Pepsi and drank it all up. However, unlike a true ninja, Val did let his own feelings and emotions interfere with his life and get the best of him. Most ninjas wouldn't consider a fight in a plant to be really _fun_, either.

Of course, one had to keep in mind that most of Ryan's teachings as a ninja disappeared when he erased his mind. From there, the drama of high school consumed him, and even when he got his memory back, it didn't mean much except for the desire for vengeance. He wasn't a ninja who had the hatred of a teenager, he was a teenager with the knowledge and skills of a heavily-trained ninja.

It wasn't that Kim was completely inexperienced, but in the last year she didn't fight a lot. Shego would take orders from Drakken not to fight or kill for some odd reason, and Ron had usually dealt with Monkey Fist and his ninjas. Rufus even took on the so-called master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar and his monkey ninjas, usually giving Kim a break at the time.

Even though it didn't hit her, Monkey Fist too disappeared the same time Ron and Val did. As for her opponent, his life was fighting.

If Shego and Drakken had been watching, they would have seen it as well. And if Shego had her way, she would have taken Kim out by any means necessary, and she could actually do it, too. But Drakken claimed he had some brilliant plan for the destruction of Kim Possible that would be more worth it than taking advantage of her college Ronless depression.

Kim finally slumped on her body after being struck in the head repeatedly by Val. She suffered several elbows, knees, punches and kicks to her head, and she couldn't take it much more. She tried to pick herself up again, but collapsed on her face.

Val let out a sigh. "Check… mate…" He turned around and made his way toward the main computer in the room, only to hear weak moans behind him.

Kim still managed to get onto her feet, and again took on a stance, but she was hardly conscious. Blood was coming out of her nose and mouth thanks to falling on her face, and she could hardly see straight. Yet, she continued to persevere.

"I'm… not… done… wit-"

"Save your energy." He didn't turn around to face her. "The battle has been decided."

But Kim wouldn't listen, and with every ounce of remaining strength charged at her enemy.

She lunged at him with a left hook. He grabbed her wrist and charged his elbow straight into her gut. It knocked her back, but not off her feet.

She came back with a roundhouse kick. He grabbed her foot and swept his foot against Kim's idle one. She fell right on her back, but she got up. Barely.

She tried to shove her knee in his face, but he stepped aside and clothes-lined her. She spun in the air and landed on her face.

From the floor she tried to kick Val, even if it meant a low blow. He grabbed her foot and threw her past him to the other side of the room.

She got up and darted toward him, but instead of flying at him with a knee or with a torpedo kick, she performed a reverse somersault kick. Val scooted back, and when Kim's body was upside down, he charged his shoulder into her spine, slammed and pinned her against the wall in the middle of the room.

"Give up!" he demanded with a fierce look on his face, before releasing her and allowing her to fall on her head again.

But Kim got up and continued to fight.

Val was becoming frustrated. "You just don't get it, do you?"

Kim tried another left hook but Val came in with his own.

"Look at you. You can't win a fist fight in desperation!"

Kim tried another right hook but Val grabbed it and slammed his shoulder into her.

"You think of nothing but retribution again!"

Kim went in for a flying kick, but Val ran under and behind her, shooting his leg upward and kicking Kim straight in her back again.

"You don't remember what you stand for!"

Kim got up again and went in for a kick straight for the neck, but Val blocked it with his wrist. He soon pushed it aside and went in for his own spinning kick, knocking her back.

"You've lost focus on who you are!"

Kim let out an enraged yell as she tried a cartwheel kick. Val stepped aside and shoved his foot on her chin as her body was upside down, as if grabbing it, and sent her head into the grated floor.

"You still let your insecurities get the best of you!"

He grabbed Kim and put her back on her feet before slamming his fist into her face.

"There is reason life has turned against you!"

He again shoved both of his fists into Kim's abdomen, not that there was any more air to thrust out.

"You refuse to accept the fact that losses are only a natural part of life!"

Kim almost fell down from the last blow, only to suffer an uppercut by her adversary.

"You still view your life unrealistically that nothing can ever go wrong, a life without flaw!"

Val grabbed Kim by her collar, pulled her in close, and shoved his foot straight up her chin.

"And just when everything goes wrong, you drown yourself in your sorrows!"

Kim had staggered and tried to keep her balance. The distance allowed Val to charge at her and fly at her with a fast airborne kick and nailed her straight in the abs.

"AND THAT IS WHY YOU HAVE SUFFERED THE LOSSES YOU HAVE AND BECOME THE WAY YOU ARE!"

Still with his foot in Kim's gut, he spun his other leg in a circular motion, smacking Kim's chin. Both kicks knocked her into the wall in the middle of the room again, and she fell like a sack of bricks.

"You can blame life all your want for everything going downhill, but only you can dig yourself out. You can't live your life by holding someone else's hand! That's the problem with you, Kimberly Ann, you have high expectations for everything in your life, but when you don't get the things you want, you drown yourself in your sorrows and depression!" Val spat out with clear disgust…

…only to find out that once _again_ Kim managed to get on her feet. Unlike before, she wasn't breathing heavily, nor did she appear weak. He then remembered; the cybertronic suit allowed for healing, not just of the suit itself, but Kim as well. Still, it would be a few hours until she was back to normal, probably six in the condition she was in.

Kim let out a loud yell as she charged at him for one last time. "I WILL NEVER GIVE UP!"

Val was just as frustrated as she was. As fast as he could, he took out his whip, cracked it so that it was glowing green, and charged at Kim, who was now making a last resort. As she ran towards him, her suit started to glow and create all kinds of electric sparks that shielded her body, taking up the entire suit's energy. It was starting to effect the heat and light around the area, as from Val's POV all of her features started to distort in waves. Light particles started coming off the core and into Kim's battle suit, and every kind of metal started to move violently. Even Val felt his metal arm start to shake, stopping his run.

Suddenly, Kim stopped as a ball of pure blue light was glowing in her fist. It let out some kind of sonic boom as it stopped charging up and gathering energy. A few bits of electricity came out every now and then, but she was completely immune to it.

Aware that this kind of energy could brutally injure somebody that had a hi-tech mechanical limb, Val's expression was solid as stone. "So this is your last resort? An electromagnetic sonic cannon…" This time, however, the tone in his voice was a lot softer.

Kim was panting. "I usually don't like to resort to this kind of thing, but I don't want this whole fiasco to get out of hand. I just want to go back to living a normal life."

Val shook his head. "You can never live a normal life if it was never normal to begin with. Besides, wasn't living a 'normal life' leaving you completely depressed as it was at Upperton?"

"I'm not you. I'm not going to let everything in my life get out of hand."

"You're not responsible for what happens in your life, Kim. Hell, no one can create their own future without everyone else getting in the way. Otherwise none of this would be taking place. I know you've blamed me for just about everything that's gone wrong in your life, but that's what happens when your life is so freaking bubbly perfect. We are never the masters of our destiny, no matter where we were born or what lifestyle we're born into."

"My life was never 'bubbly perfect', Val. I'm not as shallow as you think I am. I know I have things good, but instead of wallowing around and shoving it in everyone else's face, I'm using what I have to help people, not just myself."

"Perhaps that's your problem, then."

Kim shot Val with a confused glare. "What do you mean?" She was more confused at the fact that this was coming from someone who believed the exact same thing.

Even though Kim could have fired the energy whenever she wanted, Val was still solid as before. "You're an odd one, Kim. Sometimes we become so focused on everyone else in our life that we forget about ourselves. You're more focused on everyone else than yourself, and you forget who you are. You know _what _you are, but not _who_. On the other hand, I suppose that's where Ron's place was, just to fill that empty void, and nothing's been there to fill it since he left. And to think that you accused him many times of being overconfident and cocky when you were no different."

"You don't know what it's like to have someone be there all your life and just suddenly disappear on you…" Kim's face dropped but kept her aim firm.

"Would it matter? It doesn't take someone who 'understands' anything to see how badly it's affected you. You see, Kim, that's the problem with first love. It lets us become vulnerable to someone, but the same thing winds up destroying us. You become weak and everyone in the world takes advantage of the situation."

"I am so not in the mood for your 'advice', Val. It's not going to help the sitch."

"Which one? The price on your head or Ron?"

"The one where I shoot you with an overpowered electromagnetic sonic blast and put you in the hospital, and when I tell the authorities it's you they want, not me."

Val smirked, challenging Kim with a snarl. "Then finish it!"

And Kim did. Firing the blast like a gun, a demonic sound roared through the air as the ball expanded into a circular arc and covered the entire floor, going the speed no less than a bullet. For some reason, nothing that was hit was damaged – as the weapon was created and modified strictly to harm anything organic.

But she missed.

She completely missed.

She freaking missed.

She fired at point blank and totally missed.

Just as Val told her what to do, the very moment the words left his lips, he quickly ran toward her and went in low under her arm – right under the barrel of the gun as it fired. Just as Kim became aware of it, he had already crossed his arms so that his right hand was over his left shoulder and vice versa.

"NE RAI!"

He immediately swiped both of his hands across Kim's belly as fast as he could. The nails of his mechanical left hand tore through Kim's suit, revealing her belly and some painful-looking scratches, and at the same time, struck her skin with the glowing green whip.

Kim became petrified as her entire body turned green for a split second, and fell to the floor faster than a tree being cut down, but no less hard. A loud thud could be heard even at the entrance of the building.

She tried with all her strength to get up, but something was wrong. Her muscles weren't responding.

'_I… I can't move…!'_

She wouldn't get up this time.

She lost.


	7. 6: Drifting Away and Falling Apart

**Chapter 6: Drifting Away and Falling Apart**

One of two dark-flashback-filler-chapters. It's really more to fill the setting before Sean came along. By the end of this, I know everyone's still going to ask "Are they going to get back together?"

I've said it before, and I'll say it again: None of my stories have bad endings. Do the math ;) It'll just be a while until we get there, and unfortunately I think this is going to be another 25 chapter story. Stick around, move along, I don't care; I've got a story to tell.

* * *

_June 2006…_

"I'm not letting you get to that last relic!"

"Last? What are you talking about? I can't hear you through all of this wind!"

Kim only growled as she tried whatever she could to catch up to Val.

The last mysterious artifact had been located on a remote island that suddenly appeared when he captured artifact #7. The new rock in the ocean was located several miles south of Hawaii, cloudy skies and dark.

Kim told herself the timing could be both a curse and a blessing. Tomorrow was the cheerleading tryouts for Upperton University in the summer term. Tryouts weren't available for freshman, so Kim had to wait after her first year of college to sign up. Also, for some odd reason, openings for clubs and other activities were on the same day. Yet, you couldn't join afterwards.

In terms of the cheerleading tryouts, while Kim was no less acrobatic and determined as she was back in high school, the same couldn't be said for every other girl who wanted to try out. Unfortunately, they didn't need to try anything. The number of willing participants was pathetically low because these girls were incredibly stuck up and rude to everyone who tried, and because of this they were guaranteed a spot. They treated Kim with no less disrespect, well aware that she led the Middleton Mad Dogs through several regional championships.

Kim was puzzled, though. She wasn't worried about herself or was intimidated by the other girls, at least that's what she told herself. After all, it wasn't like the entire campus hated her... at least not for another four months. Instead, she wondered if it was worth it.

Back in Middle School, she loved to help out people and enjoyed her early days as a cheerleader, but never considered a career out of either of them. Six years later as a worldwide hero, that hadn't changed. She didn't plan on doing either of those forever. She had really grown attached to the other girls in the Middleton cheer squad, and thanks to her captain skills all of them got scholarships to other colleges in the state, even Bonnie, yet not one went anywhere near Upperton. But Kim couldn't see herself getting along with these girls or hanging out with them. The Upperton cheerleaders only talked about two things: Parties and boys. Sure, back in high school there were endless times where the girls, and Kim was guilty of this one, would talk about how cute some of the guys were, their smiles, their smooth personalities, and sometimes their butts. But when Kim overheard some of the things the Upperton girls had done, it took her a week to get her appetite back. Definitely bad road. Kim tried to explain the situation to Ron, who was already frustrated from work and wasn't really paying attention, putting out his frustrations on games. Rufus on the other hand tried to help out, but he figured that these girls weren't the kinds of people who would listen to others.

There were actually a lot of times where some of the girls in the Middleton squad would tell Kim of their troubles, a secret just between the two of them, and the cheerleading captain would offer her advice. While each girl thought it was just her, it really expanded out to half the crowd, Tara being the main one. Among these were Tara's confession that she had a crush on Ron. Kim told her just to go for it, but Tara said no without explaining her reasons. It wouldn't hit Kim until the Monday after the Senior Prom and she had a new boyfriend, something the entire school was just hoping to happen.

But before then, Tara called again and told Kim that Josh had asked her on a date. The call wasn't intended to shove this in Kim's face, but instead she asked if it was okay since she knew Kim liked him.

* * *

Sometime during the summer between Kim's Junior and Senior years. 

It was a few weeks before that Kim and Josh went on a second date, unknownst to everybody including Ron because he was over at Felix's playing games. Wade also had a gaming night, and Kim simply told her brothers she was out for an evening jog. No one was sure why Kim didn't simply tell the truth, one would guess there was a hint of forbidden excitement about it. Then again, she wanted to surprise Josh by finally asking him out.

Well, she surprised him all right, but not as she intended.

Drakken and Shego somehow found out about it and ambushed the two, attempting to poison Kim with another toxin. Only this time, it would just make her disappear without the embarrassment. Josh got himself tangled in the mess, however, charging into Shego as she had Kim cornered and was ready to spray her. Shego didn't take this well as one would assume, and Josh almost got killed because of it. Kim handled the rest by stealing the flammable toxin and blowing up Drakken's hovercraft with it, and the doc and his sidekick fled. Only in small spray doses would the toxin work, but if too much was applied then it was no different than a Molotov Cocktail.

Josh was usually a calm guy, but you couldn't blame him for being scared out of his mind after he almost had his head burnt off by green plasma flames. The action was far too much for him. Like Kim, he too was thinking about being her boyfriend. Since she explained a long time ago that the weirdness of the first date was all Drakken and Shego, it was clear that this wasn't the last time they would meet. Kim understood, however. Since Josh wasn't a fighter, she told herself then that she didn't want him getting hurt, so the two agreed that this wasn't going to work, and they wound up departing ways.

True love would have told them to persevere through it, but it wasn't there. Kim liked Josh only because of what he could do, that he was calm and cool; a smooth operator. Josh liked Kim because she was pretty, but it was how silly she would become from her shyness that caught his attention. But the two only talked about what they liked to do, instead of engaging in deep conversation and really learning who the other truly was deep inside. An artist going out with a cheerleader would have just shattered every stereotype in the school, but something was missing. There was an inevitable difference, though; Josh's life was all calm and easygoing, but Kim's life was full of danger and action.

Josh still drove her home and wished her goodnight, but that was all. No hugs, no hand holding, and no kisses. Both were bummed out about this, but the two would realize later that night about the difference of their lifestyles. Even without Drakken's interference, it wouldn't work. Kim wasn't going to stop helping people just to please a guy, and Josh wasn't exactly willing to jump into the fire. He wasn't a risk taker.

Even though Kim soon got over him, he still thought about her. Once the last year of school began, it would strike him that Ron was the one for her. It was the day that Kim was suddenly wearing a Zombie Mayhem t-shirt and cap. Even though no one said anything, all the boys were baffled when they 'found out' Kim was a 'gaming chick'. It was as clear as day that the two were meant for each other, and Josh chose to let fate do the rest. Shortly after that he found himself hanging out with Tara a lot, and then they dated for about two weeks.

But much like everyone else, he too found himself waiting for the moment where Kim and Ron would realize their feelings for each other. He just wished he was around to congratulate Kim and Ron on their new relationship, but family problems forced him to move out of Middleton. But there was another factor as he would later find out in the newspaper:

"Middleton High School Student and World Hero Kidnapped."

The factor: Valia Ryan, the new threat on the block.

* * *

Kim told Tara it was nothing to worry about since she was over Josh, and a couple of weeks later, Tara and Josh hit it off. A couple of weeks later it was over, but like Kim and Josh, it was a mutual decision, and they had nothing in common, either. Pretty faces and smooth personalities can only mean so much. 

So really, Tara and Mankey dated from the fact that Kim approved. No wonder she was so calm when she heard about it - She knew.

But the Upperton girls were just solid. You couldn't change their mind on anything, unlike the girls at Middleton who were all open-minded, sans Bonnie and some of those who thought she should've been the captain and not Kim. Rufus figured this out just from Kim's description of what had been going on the last few days, hoping to get to know the girls before trying out, and advised against it. However, Kim convinced herself that since she helped make a positive difference in some of the other girls' lives in Middleton, she would try to do this for these girls. She would show them that there was more to cheerleaders than something to drool over, just like she did with the Middleton squad. She wanted to break the stereotype.

So it was decided: Kim would try out for the squad and try to change everything about it. Give something for Upperton to be proud of. Even though Rufus advised against it, Kim didn't listen.

Her determination was soon broken as Ron yelled at his game and shut it off out of frustration. He wasn't having a good day. Heck, it had his girlfriend wondering when his last good day was, and she couldn't remember. She suggested going out somewhere to eat to get his mind off of it, and maybe try to get him to tell her what was going on. He kept a lot of his work frustrations at Bueno Nacho and school to himself and it worried her. Apologizing for his behavior, Ron agreed.

He had changed so much in the past couple of months.

Still, he made his attempts to please Kim and impress her, using his last paycheck to take them both to a fancy and sophisticated restaurant… in Lowerton. The Tri-City region was strange that way. Middleton was a middle-class area sans the Possibles, yet Upperton and Lowerton were mixed around. Lowerton was like driving a brand new Ferrari - tuned to perfection with a beautiful woman in the passenger seat - into a long sunset road with beautiful skies and not a care in the world (of if you're a girl, you get full control of the wheel with a passenger who refuses to complain). Upperton on the other hand was getting robbed at a bar by your date, thrown into a dumpster full of puke and landing in front of a dog turd, and having your car stolen. That, and after getting out of the dumpster, you'd whack your pinky toe on the edge of it.

Because the restaurant was expensive, extremely elegant and had a ballroom floor, Kim decided she'd wear a dress. Rufus had to tell Ron what Kim was thinking and forced him into formal wear. The two headed out late and got there a half hour to midnight. Kim was also hoping that the long drive would take Ron's mind off of things, since she sometimes found that cruising around town after a frustrating day helped her. It didn't work for Ron. While the food was delicious, served to perfection, Kim didn't find herself enjoying the evening. It didn't help that Ron looked bored to death after dumping the plate's contents into his throat. He was hardly talkative at all. Kim tried to ask repeatedly what was on his mind, but he just said "Nothing". Rufus as usual stuffed himself full, but he too was dead worried about Ron. Kim became more of a caretaker to Rufus than Ron had in the recent months.

When the clock hit midnight, slow dance music was playing and many people decided to hit the dance floor. Ron didn't feel like it, but Kim dragged him out to the floor, hoping again that this would take his mind off of things.

Kim sighed when she leaned her head on Ron's shoulder. This was the second time she and Ron had danced on a ballroom floor, and the last time was so memorable. Ron really was different back then, always cheerful, goofy, yet went out of his way to make an evening perfect. The last time the two danced they had done the waltz and the tango. Kim was surprised because she couldn't recall a time where Ron knew how to dance.

He revealed that it was actually a part of his training at Yamanuchi after Ryan was first presumed dead, and that Sensei taught him everything. Kim couldn't help but burst into laughter, picturing Sensei being a dance partner and tutor. The thought of Yori had come to mind, but Ron's old squeeze wasn't aware that he was there and was helping another graduate set up a school at the time.

Kim reminisced on that night. February 14th, 2006.

* * *

The music was perfect, the food was delicious, Ron smelled really nice and knew his moves. The two were the center of attention that night, and after everyone else danced, their song played. It turned out Ron also requested the singer, a girl about Kim's age, to sing the song they kissed to at Prom: "Could it Be." 

It was too perfect. The lights dimmed, there was a mirror ball in the room that reflected all kinds of light, but the scenery was much more sophisticated, Ron wasn't wearing an embarrassing tuxedo, and Kim wasn't wearing a dress that had been charred at the bottom. In fact, Ron was wearing a dark red tuxedo. It matched well with Kim's red dress. The two danced just like they did at Prom night, although the two weren't worried about what was going on. No pressure at all. But after some time he noticed Kim had her head on his shoulder for quite a long time, after five more songs played.

She had fallen asleep on him, and he then realized that Kim had her feet on his. No wonder she didn't fall down. Since no one noticed, he just continued to dance.

Suddenly, the Kimmunicator had gone off. It woke Kim up, but she didn't want anything to interfere, so she didn't answer Wade. She had actually hit a moment where if the world ended, she didn't care. She was in love, and just when she thought nothing could top Prom night, Ron found a way.

"You sure you don't want to answer that?" Ron asked.

"I don't want this night to end," she answered.

But she didn't let Ron answer back, trapping his lips with hers. Never one to protest against a kiss, Ron held Kim tight in his arms and let it be. He didn't exactly in favor of showing off in public or PDA, but he couldn't say no to Kim. Well, he could, but he simply didn't want to. And Rufus couldn't hear the Kimmunicator go off. Even if he did, he was just happy to see his owner and his lifelong friend happy and in love. It was the best Valentine's dance Kim and Ron ever had.

They would find out the next morning from a rather annoyed Wade that it was an emergency. Val, again presumed dead from the Circle of Blood incident, was still alive. Not only that, but he blew up an excavation site in China and stole some ancient artifact. Kim was almost devastated at hearing this, not because of Ryan, but because the excavation site must have had hundreds if not thousands of people. Fortunately, there was not a single casualty – they blew up the place themselves. Still, it wasn't hard to figure out why he made his move on V-Day - He knew she wouldn't interfere.

* * *

Kim sighed and almost felt like crying. Back on that day, she felt so safe in Ron's arms. But in four months she couldn't tell if he loved her anymore, not by the way he held her. It was almost like being held by a total stranger. Everything else was there, though. The music was a soft and sexy jazz number, the mirror ball had even more colors and designs added to it, and the food was delicious as usual. But it didn't mean anything if the one you thought you loved could care less. Kim wasn't enjoying herself, but even so she was hoping like hell that there wouldn't be any interruptions. 

_BEEP BEEP BE BEEP_

Not the last time, not this time, either.

Wade regretfully informed the couple that only a few minutes ago, his satellites picked up an island that suddenly appeared south of Hawaii. He wasn't sure why this happened now, but it didn't matter. Val stole a plane and was on his way there, confirmed by footage from a surveillance camera. If he didn't take the time to ensure that he wasn't seen, it was bad.

Kim would deny it up and down, but she felt better leaving the place. She started to get amped as she drove to the airport and took her bag with all of her and Ron's equipment from the trunk, hoping that tonight she would finally thwart whatever Val was scheming with these eight artifacts. But after dragging Ron onto the jet, she couldn't help but dwell on earlier. She came to a depressing conclusion that maybe she didn't love Ron anymore, and she felt even worse just from the thought that he didn't love her, either. But she couldn't talk to Ron about it, as he fell asleep right after takeoff. Kim tried to ask Rufus what was going on, but he didn't know what Ron's problem was. He was just in a constant bad mood without reason. He didn't know if it was sleep, school wasn't that great but Ron tackled much worse grades with a smile, but Rufus did reveal one thing. Just the last Friday Ron got fired from Bueno Nacho. Kim was completely unaware of this, shocked, but when Rufus told her it was his constant attitude problem, they had to let him go, and they suggested he see a psychiatrist.

Kim couldn't help but look at Ron, who still had a snare in his shut eyes. She sighed. She wasn't sure what to do. She wanted to talk to him, but she had done that several times just tonight and got nothing out of him. She and Rufus were worried about him, and even when Kim called his parents, they were no less surprised and worried than she was. She tried to call her mom, and she revealed that sometimes when teens hit a bad state of depression, they enter a stage where they don't care about anything anymore. Sometimes they refuse to attend all classes, their job, and they just can't take the stress anymore. It could be serious, but sometimes it was temporary. But Ron didn't suffer from any of the symptoms; it didn't explain why he refused to tell her about anything going on in his life. He would still accept missions but he would be in a sour mood.

But it wasn't just all Ron. Ever since Val was on the loose stealing these artifacts, Kim also found herself frustrated at her losing streak. At first Ron would screw up and sometimes provide the wrong distractions, but lately he had thrown himself into danger from overconfidence. With an enemy like Val, overconfidence was a fatal vulnerability, and he deliberately used it against Ron and made his escape from there. Kim wouldn't come to realize it, but almost every time Val had gotten away, she had blamed Ron. She blamed him for getting in the way, for not doing anything, and sometimes she couldn't explain why he was at fault.

It wasn't enough to drive Ron this way, even though the change was visible. Val could see the change for himself, unsurprisingly.

Realizing this was getting her depressed, Kim tried to get her mind off of it. This wasn't going to help her in her cheerleading tryouts the next day. It was already late into the night, two in the morning back home. Suddenly, the pilot yelled over the loudspeaker.

"_Miss Possible, I've got him!"_

That was enough to take her mind off of things. Kim ran as fast as she could to the cockpit, finding a plane that looked like it was ready to die in front of them.

"I doubt negotiations will work," the pilot said. "I'm just going to get above him so you can get the drop on him."

"Please and thank you, Andre."

"Oh, it's nothing. It's the least I can do after you helped me get out of that no-fly zone safely."

"It's no big. All I had to do was block out their satellites with a wet rag. It wasn't anywhere near next-gen technology."

"I don't know what you just said, but we're going up!"

Kim readied herself by grabbing her parachute in the back. She tried to wake Ron up repeatedly by shaking him, but it wouldn't work. She tried hitting him, but he was out.

"_Miss Possible, I'm over the other aircraft!"_

Kim finally let out a frustrated groan. This wasn't the first time she had to wait on Ron, but this time she wouldn't wait it out. She opened the emergency hatch and walked right out.

She landed right on Val's plane, no big. That's what Kim would tell you anyway, as the winds almost blew her right off. The entire thing was rusty; no doubt this was its final flight. Kim took another step only to fall through it and land inside. Fortunately her backpack softened the fall. She got up just as fast as she fell, looking for the pilot. But the metal was coming off from the walls, not making it any easier to hear anything. Kim wasn't exactly in a good mood as it was, so instead of creeping around, she ran straight for the cockpit, only to find no one there. She was actually more surprised that an old piece of junk like this had auto-pilot enabled.

"The way I see it, why abandon old technology when it has some use left in it?"

Kim turned around to find her target, Val, calm yet excited as usual. He still wore his leather attire, but had his hand on the handle of the emergency door. He was ready to go.

"Val, what are you up to? Why are you after those artifacts? What are they for?"

Val only smirked. "Catch me and maybe I'll tell you. Come on!"

With that, he pulled on the handle and the door went flying in the air. Val leapt out of the plane without a parachute, and Kim quickly went into pursuit.

As she dove out of the smoking plane, she looked upward to see if Ron was anywhere near her, but he was still in the jet. At least he had finally woken up and was putting on his parachute. But the winds of the approaching storm knocked him and Rufus out of the jet. Knowing that they could handle themselves, Kim turned her body around in the air and tried to go in faster. However, unlike her many encounters with him, Val's jacket was actually being affected by the wind and he wasn't able to descend as fast as he could. It wasn't long before Kim caught up with him. He even had the audacity to wave at her.

"Careful now, Kim! I wouldn't want you getting hurt!" he yelled through the wind.

"I'm not the one who's going to get hurt!"

"Oooh, frightening!" Val yelled sarcastically with a smirk, crossing his arms as he fell.

It wasn't long before loud claps of thunder could be heard in the air, and it started to rain immediately afterward. In response Val started spinning his body, gaining momentum in his fall.

Kim quickly noticed. "Oh no, you don't!"

She mimicked exactly what he did and found herself falling faster, but not to his rate. Suddenly, he opened up his coat and stopped falling, using it as a glider. He didn't use it for long, but it was enough to send Kim flying right past him. He looked upward the entire time, seeing that Ron was also coming down, but was too far away to be considered a threat. He focused back on Kim.

"What's your hurry?" he teased. "I don't know about you, but I'm in no rush!"

He soon noticed that Kim was trying whatever she could do to pick herself up, from waving her arms like a bird to running in the air. Her attempts worked. He thought that Kim would have tried to shoot her grappling gun at him again, but he soon noticed that lightning started to strike. Realizing this, he pulled out a rubber glove that extended all the way to his shoulder and put it on. Kim tried to take advantage of the opening and made her move, but wound up flying past him. He tried to counter her missed punch with a kick upside her head, but she flew past him too fast. It wasn't long before Kim was on her way back.

A dogfight soon broke out between the two, but they couldn't manage to hurt the other. Kim dove at Val too fast for him to effectively attack, and he kept avoiding her strikes by flipping his body in all kinds of directions. Neither had an advantage over the other, as they couldn't take control in the skies as they could on the ground.

"Kim!"

Both looked up to find that Ron was approaching like a bullet. Val put his feet against Kim's chest and kicked her away just as Ron flew right through them. But he kicked Kim upward, giving him a good thrust down to the jungle several thousand feet below. However, he didn't realize that he was on a collision course with Ron, and Kim's BF flew upward, uppercutting Val and sending his body spinning.

"Thanks, Ron!"

It was probably the only effective thing Ron had done in months. Just like a thousand times before, though, Val didn't stagger for too long, shaping his body like a torpedo and spinning like one. Kim went straight in after him. However, Ron still was afraid of heights and released his parachute. He knew Kim could handle the rest. But she just couldn't catch up to Ryan.

Val noticed her face was firm. "You should have just stayed home!" he yelled.

"I'm not letting you get to that last relic!"

The wind had picked up, sending the two off their course. Val couldn't hear her through the roars of the wind. "Last? What are you talking about? I can't hear you through all of this wind!"

Kim only growled as she tried whatever she could to catch up to Val. The two were approaching the jungle-filled island at full speed, but this was the first time that Kim refused to release her parachute. A lot of word about Val was heavily exaggerated to her, when the truth was that she could do most of what he did. She couldn't slice bullets in half or deflect them with a sword, but she could fight, she was no less physically fit than he was, and he didn't possess superhuman strength of any kind. They really had a lot in common when it came to skills, but they both utilized them differently in combat.

Kim was known best to use any and all kind of safety equipment, even if she didn't need them. But when it came to stopping Val from stealing the final relic, she was going to do what he did and go through without any kind of safety equipment. She came to a conclusion about beating Val; if you wanted to beat him, you had to be like him. She had to take a risk.

She would soon realize that this would be the single greatest mistake of her life.

Kim wasn't exactly used to the ground coming at full speed and not slowing down, and fear started to engulf her mind. But as always, she fought against it and continued to pursue Ryan. Just when it appeared that he was going to crash through a tree, he pulled out his whip and latched it onto a strong tree branch. But he managed to use his whip like a rubber grappling cord and used his falling momentum to sling shot himself high into the air. Just as fast as he flew in, he flew right back out. His body was sent towards the huge temple in the middle of the island. No doubt it was enough to send him a mile or two, which was how far it was. Kim couldn't see what was under the huge trees below, but she was able to clearly see the branch that Val latched his whip on. She pulled out her grappling gun, no longer in danger of being electrocuted as the lightning died down. Sort of. The temple in the middle of the island was much taller, but the top of it was shortly destroyed by a lightning strike.

Kim shot her gun and the hook caught onto the branch. Just as Val did, she was going to pull herself away from the hook and let it shoot her back in the air.

But there was one, huge problem. When Val entered the jungle, there was nothing to stop him. But when Kim flew past the top of the tree and her feet were close to touching the ground, there was one thing that stood in front of her:

A huge, solid stone wall.

Had she shot the hook a few degrees to her right, she would have flown through a huge crack in the wall, more than wide enough for Val to slip through.

But Kim couldn't stop or move herself. Just as she yelled from fear from realizing the inevitable outcome, she slammed straight into it. In the movies the protagonist or antagonist would fly through the wall with a lot of smoke and debris, but Kim did anything but. The wall was that hard. She cried in pain as she hit it with loud cracks that was just as loud as the thunder, and she cried no less when her body fell back to the ground. Kim was a wrecking ball that didn't do jack.

It was a new feeling for Kim, and she just lost it on the ground. She tried to move her body but screamed in pain after moving a muscle. She then did what no one ever thought Kim Possible would do: Scream with everything she had for help. Fortunately, Ron landed near her, but it took him a minute to get himself untangled from the tree. He released himself and landed straight on his feet, noticing that Kim was laying on her right side with tears pouring out of her eyes.

"Kim? Kim!"

He ran straight for her, but tripped in the mud as the storm was growing fierce. When he got to her, the first thing he noticed was that she almost turned white from shock. Ron pulled her shirt up to reveal some severe bruises on the left side of her body, which were also all over her left arm and left leg.

He could tell from the bruises that Kim broke her left arm, left leg, and two of her ribs. But he had no idea what to do.

"Shoot shoot shoot crap crap crap crap crap, what do I do?"

"YOU CALL FOR HELP, RON!" Kim cried in both anger and pain.

She couldn't reach her Kimmunicator, but Rufus took it out, pressed some numbers on it, and threw it towards Ron. The pilot of the jet, Andre, was soon shown on the screen.

Ron went frantic. "Andre, you gotta come down here! Kim's hurt!"

"Keep the communication on! I'm tracking the signal!" Andre confirmed. "Just hang tight!"

Ron put the device in his pocket without turning it off, just as he was told. He turned his attention to Kim right afterward, who was starting to realize what had happened. She had gone through a lot of pain in the past, a fight from Shego or falling off the cheerleading pyramid, but never had she broken a bone in her body. She grew more frustrated when she realized that by the time Andre came back, Val had already made his escape.

He won. All eight of the artifacts have been stolen. There was no telling what would happen now. Kim felt like if the world ended tomorrow, it was all her fault, and she felt more like a failure than anything.

Ron didn't see any of what had happened, so he popped the question. "What the hell happened?"

Kim sighed as she laid perfectly on her back, even if it meant getting mud in her hair. "He… used the speed of the fall to shoot himself towards the temple…. I tried to do the same thing… but that dumb wall… got in the way."

Ron looked toward it, which was actually the back of a stone head closely resembling those of Easter Island. He winced when he noticed a little bit of blood on it, clearly his girlfriend's.

He found himself appalled. "Kim, what the hell were you thinking?"

Kim tried to pick herself up, baffled at Ron's question. "What do you mean, 'what was I thinking'? I… tried to catch him!"

Ron sighed. "Kim, you know I love you but you're way out of his league!"

He said it. Someone finally said it. Oh, and was Kim mad. Ron had often warned her of getting overconfident and careless when it came to Val, but never had the audacity to say such a thing. Had Kim's head not been covered in mud, Ron would have seen a blood vein on her head that was ready to pop.

"What did you just say? And what did you do to help things out?" she yelled.

Ron sighed. "Just who was it that taught me to do the safe thing in life, KP? And here you are falling in a jungle without a parachute."

Kim just growled as her head dropped into the mud again. "This isn't helping anything, you know. Val's probably down at that temple and found what he was looking for."

Ron got on his feet. "What, did you want me to go in after him?"

"Well, DUH!" she answered.

"Geez, you could have just asked. You don't have to have your head up your-"

"Look, I shouldn't have to say anything!"

Ron groaned as he walked past Kim. "_Fiiiine_, I'll go in after him and try to stop him!"

Kim scoffed. "Don't bother. It's not like you have what it takes, either."

Ron turned back to Kim. "What?"

"It's not like you're in a totally different league than I am, Ron."

Ron just sighed and sat down. "You're right, KP. As always, you're right. No matter what, you're _never_ wrong. Even with the mad skills I've got, I don't have a chance!" Clearly sarcasm.

"Now you're just being a baby."

"Wah wah wah…" he whined sarcastically, "At least I don't _CRY_ like one…" he 'quietly' muttered.

"JUST SHUT UP!" Kim roared, clearly hearing his remark. "Just…" She couldn't finish her thought, wincing in pain as she tried to move.

She just wanted for Andre to come along and take her back home. Rufus only covered his face. This wasn't the first time the two had fought before, and he learned the hard way that it was best not to interfere. He sighed, knowing that neither Ron nor Kim would take this much longer.

Five more minutes passed before the jet arrived, and Andre had everything ready to go. It took less than a minute for Kim to get on the plane and head back home. Because there was nothing for her to lay on, she was put in the back on top of a cold metal table. But she noticed that there was a lot of shaking from a nearby cardboard box, one she noticed wasn't there before.

"Ron?"

Ron came into the small room from the seats, cranky because he was sleeping. "What?"

"Lift that cardboard box, would you?"

"Why? Is it bothering you?"

"Yeah, and I want to see something."

"I hope this was worth waking up over." Ron quickly picked it up, but nothing was under or inside of it. He stacked it with the other boxes shortly after.

"You okay?" he asked sleepily.

"I have a broken arm, leg, and two ribs. What do you think?"

Ron just groaned as he walked out of the room. He wasn't in the mood for it and neither was Kim. She was beyond frustrated. First, there was the factor of accepting defeat, second, she failed in a rather painful manner, winding up in a hospital for it, and she then remembered about the cheerleading tryouts in about fourteen hours. There was no way she could get herself in top shape for it.

Kim could have sworn that Val was under that box, since he used it as an escape method right after the Bay City Crisis.

The truth was that he was laying right under her. If Andre didn't put those bed sheets to prevent Kim's spine from becoming a popsicle, it would have been obvious.

* * *

The two had arrived at the hospital in Upperton two hours later, the only good place in town, and it took less than that for Kim to be put in casts. Ron arrived in the room shortly after the lights were turned off, apologizing for what he said earlier. That was, however, after Rufus cleared his throat repeatedly for him to talk. It didn't help that Ron's tone was hardly convincing. He asked if there was anything else he could do, but Kim simply told him to just go home. She just wanted to be alone for once. 

Within a few hours of the injury, Kim's family came to see how she was doing. Kim explained that she got careless on another pursuit after Ryan. Her parents weren't too pleased with her choice not to go in without a parachute, but they chose not to say anything since she had casts on. She learned her lesson. Her brothers, however, reminded her of the time they broke some bones because of Adrena Lynn. Of course, being fans of Val, they thought it was cool that he pulled it off without flaw. Kim was tired and because it wasn't even six in the morning, she said she'd be fine and it was okay that they left. Her parents didn't want to, but they could tell that Kim was too frustrated as it was.

Kim's dad asked her why Ron wasn't there, finding a reason to send his future son-in-law into a black hole, but she told him to get some sleep, and she'd be okay. He bought the excuse, but his wife knew that if Ron wasn't going to stay at the hospital for Kim, something was wrong. She decided not to bring it up, and they left.

The Kimmunicator was beeping around six, and Kim didn't even sleep at all. She was about to reach for it when the nurse came into her room with breakfast and what appeared to be a bouquet of roses. Of course, the roses were what caught Kim's attention, but she became distraught when she didn't find a card or anything with Ron's name on it. At first, she hoped that this was his way of saying he truly was sorry, and maybe she was just too angry yesterday to realize it. But that wasn't the case. She didn't know who it was from. The nurse left the room shortly after.

Unsure of what to think, she simply answered her Kimmunicator.

"_Hi."_

Kim became wide-eyed. "HI? That's all you have to…" she couldn't finish her sentence, beyond angry who it was on the Kimmunicator:

Valia Ryan, again.

"I am _so_ not in the mood for you."

"_There's no need to act upset. I'm not calling to shove something like this in your face."_

"You know everything, Val. How is it like having six of your bones broken in several places?"

"_Well, I can't say I've broken any of my own bones in the past, but it beats getting your hand bitten beyond infection by a naked mole rat only for your whole arm to be blown off by a shotgun two months later. I'd rather have some of my bones broken than lost completely."_

Kim couldn't counter that one. "What do you want?" she simply asked.

"_Did you receive the gift?"_

Kim couldn't believe it. "The roses were from _you?"_

"_Sorry to crush your hopes about it being from Ron, but that's not the gift I'm talking about. Look deep inside."_

Seeing as she already did that, Kim removed all twelve roses and found a small glass bottle. Inside was a blue jelly-like substance. "Um, ew?"

Val rolled his eyes. _"I couldn't help but feel somewhat responsible for what happened last night, even if it was all your doing."_

Kim just glared at the screen. "Well, I'm sure you found what you were looking for."

"_Quite. I just didn't expect you to do what I did. I thought you of all people would know better not to attempt everything you see."_

"So what now? Are those relics going to make you become super human? Unleash a great evil? You've got them, there's nothing I can do to stop you now. Why don't you just spill?"

Val sighed. _"Kim, you act like I've never done a good deed in my life. Even I have my regrets here and there, but I thought you would know that better than anyone."_

_

* * *

_

_September 2005_

It was the end of the fourth week of college when Kim and Ron had gotten back and found a message on their answering machine. It was a frantic Jen Ferno, who was yelling from either fear or excitement. Unfortunately, she hung up the phone without a single word being clearly audible. Kim decided to call her, and when Jen answered, it took her a few minutes to stop prancing around.

What happened was that she headed over to Nev's lab early in the evening. The previous night he said he managed to fix her another gun enhancement. That was one of the main differences between Kim Possible and Jen Ferno. Kim relied on gadgets and non-lethal grenades, but that was all in terms of weapons. Jen on the other hand fought crime using weapons that could kill, but only when a situation went really sour, and most criminals used body armor. Ever since the end of the Bay City threat, Jen realized that she wasn't as strong a fighter as she hoped, and figured she needed training. Without an explanation, within a month she learned how to handle all kinds of melee weapons. She knew martial arts but knew much more defense than offense. That was no longer the case. Using anything from staffs to wooden swords, she became a lethal powerhouse in Bay City. When Kim learned this, she was thankful Jen was one of the good guys. Or girls.

But that wasn't the point. Jen went to Nev's armory to pick up her weapon since she was too tired to pick it up the previous night, but became scared when all kinds of equipment was all over the place. In fact, there was a ton of blood, and even in a red laboratory it was noticeable. She found him laying unconscious in an empty room in the lab, but she also found all kinds of surgical equipment, all used. Jen went frantic and rushed towards him, but not before slipping on a piece of paper and falling on her butt. She recognized it as Nev's handwriting, a note to her saying that he was growing weak and the technology inside of him that kept him alive was dying down.

The truth was obvious: He was dying, and he didn't have much time to live.

However, Nev didn't finish the letter, and every line was crossed out. It didn't help that there was a lot of blood on that, too. Jen feared the worst and checked his pulse. It was active. In fact, it was normal. Realizing this, she quickly turned him aside and noticed he was breathing. Much like his pulse, it was normal. But she didn't understand what was going on. Finally, she tore off his shirt to see how his mechanical internal organs were.

But nothing was there. In fact, instead of seeing anything internal, there was nothing but human skin. She looked all over him. There were no wires holding his arms to his body. There were no strange non-human shapes poking through his skin. But she saw a rib cage, something that wasn't there before. Then it hit her, he was entirely human again, but she wasn't sure how.

Until she looked past him, and there it was, the scrap remains of the biomechanical technology that kept him alive. Wires that acted like blood veins, half a mechanical heart, scraps of metal meant to replace Nev's internal organs and part of his skeletal structure. It was anything but a pleasant sight, but what was behind it was far worse. They were empty bags that were just full of blood. Looking at the labels on them, Jen realized what had happened.

The labels? Human Heart. Left Lung. Stomach. Left Kidney. Skin. Those were just five out of many. Someone had taken donor organs from the hospital and put them in Nev. But it wasn't a cheap job. Whoever performed the operation did it with the best of care, almost like making fine art. She took Nev's unconscious body to the hospital anyway, and while they claimed his body was functioning perfectly, he was in a coma.

He woke up an hour later, stretching his body like he had the best night of sleep in his life. Jen practically tackled him, relieved that he was okay. But Nev had some news that almost put his soon-to-be girlfriend/fiancée/wife in a mental asylum.

The person who performed the operation was none other than Valia Ryan himself. He had originally saved Nev's life when the incident occurred. While Val would soon learn what heartbreak could do to someone, Nev literally had his heart torn out by a girl who turned out to be an assassin in training. They didn't know each other at the time, but Val, who back then was supposedly a simple teenager who was obsessed with technology and knowledge, did it. But this time, aware that it wouldn't last forever, he decided to steal the hospital's donor organs and make Nev fully human again. Only this time, the effects wouldn't be temporary.

Nev had agreed to the operation, seeing that he was going to die anyway, but not before leaving a note in case all else failed. If he made it sound like Val did the operation and failed, Jen would hunt him down for life, and at least one of them would be killed. He preferred it that neither of them did.

Jen was in disbelief when she heard about this and almost fell out the window. But realizing that Nev didn't have to live a permanent life of being a cyborg, she was thrilled for him. In fact, she was still bouncing around the room when she decided to call Kim and Ron, and still was when Kim called back.

The couple was relieved for him, but Kim was still perplexed about Val.

* * *

"Look, I'm really happy that you did what you did to Nev. I really am." 

"_When we live in a world where the good suffer, and having the power to change that, I did. But that's not all I'm talking about. You _do_ remember, don't you?"_

Kim sighed as she remembered the Circle of Blood. "Oh. That."

"_Yes, Kim. That. It's just a shame it wasn't enough to make a difference in the outside world."_

"You know I don't approve of your methods. You know that hospitals from three countries were totally filled with criminals who were all in critical condition."

"_Yes, I know, I was far too lenient on them. Don't get me wrong, I would love to do the same thing you do. Simply kick someone aside and they're done. But I'm afraid that's not how many criminals-you-never-hear-about work. You can shoot them straight in the head and they'll still come at you with an axe in hand."_

"I know, I've heard that story before. So you're not 'evil' evil, but you're no saint, either."

"_So true. But anyway, the blue substance you have in your hand. I don't suppose you've heard of Visontrate?"_

"Visontrate? Sounds like a sci-fi movie."

"_Here's the deal. Apply this near your wounds, and it'll accelerate the healing process."_

"How did you get your hands on this?"

"_Remember the Senator? She had three bottles of this in her safe, among other things."_

"So this is one bottle. Where's the other two?"

"_One was used on Nevren after the operation. That was why he woke up feeling like gold, too. The other, I used on myself."_

"Did it ever occur to you that something like this could be mass-produced?"

"_Of course, but there's a reason this isn't made available to the public, Kimberly Ann."_

"Side effects?"

"_Each drop makes your nerves tingle, giving you a temporary rush. You've had braces before, so I assumed you've been drugged with rather… 'relaxing' pain relievers, when they removed a few of your teeth."_

"Mom still tells Nana the stories of the ride home…" Kim would say no more than that.

"_It's similar to that, and it's more than tempting to put multiple drops on. The problem is, only one drop can be applied toward an injury."_

"Let me guess, infections?"

"_Death. Another drop in the same place infects the skin, followed by your bloodstream and nervous system. It WILL kill you, slowly and painfully, I might add."_

"How do you know that? Oh wait, don't tell me, human experiments?"

"_Exactly."_

Kim's face dropped. "Okay, so it's dangerous. How did you know how to use it on Nev, then?"

"_Like I said, one drop towards an injured or bleeding area. I used an entire bottle on him."_

"And what about you? Why haven't you used it on that scar of yours?"

"_It's grown on me."_

"Ooookay, forget I asked. So one drop on each injured area. One for each broken bone, right?"

"_That's it. But there's also another side effect."_

"Oh, man."

"_You're not going to be able to move most of your muscles after the last drop."_

"I can't move much as it is. How long?"

"_Nine hours at the most. I hope you didn't have anything important to do on this lovely Saturday."_

"I did, but… never mind," Kim grumbled. "You said it speeds up the healing process? By how much?"

"_Organs don't take very long, but when it comes to bone structure, longer. I'm thinking ten days off."_

Kim wasn't sure what to say next.

"_You're welcome. Oh, and be careful who sees you with that. Just between you and me."_

"Um, thanks," Kim said unconvincingly.

Val easily detected this and rolled his eyes. _"Take care of yourself. We'll not meet again."_

"Wait! Please, tell me what you're going to do with those relics."

"_It's nothing for you to be concerned about. Oh, and for your own sake in the future, don't mimic the actions of others. Adieu."_

Kim only grunted as he cut the communication, but if this was the same substance that helped Nev's surgery go off without a hitch, she would use it. It took her ten minutes to apply it under the casts, then she finally got her sleep.

When she came to, the sun was starting to set, but she didn't notice anything different other than feeling extremely relaxed. It didn't last as she was put in a wheelchair, since crutches were too much for her injured arm. More denial on her part, saying she could handle it, but Rufus said no. Sadly, Ron was only there to drive Kim around places, but that was it. Every other time he was at school, looking for a job, or out. Most of the time, it was Rufus who attended to Kim's needs. Even though he did everything for her, even drive, Ron's absence hit Kim harder than the injuries. Rufus could easily see this, but he actually found himself more relaxed without his owner around to curse at games and complain and curse about work and school.

He found himself worried about the couple, and it was horrible to be in the middle of it. He didn't like the fact that his owner took a total U-turn in his personality, and he didn't like it that it worried Kim. He tried whatever he could to change things for the better as he always did since the beginning of the relationship (Just who pushed the two together at the Prom?), but ever since Ron started changing, his actions instead wound up making everything worse. There were a lot of times where he thought the relationship was getting worse because of him.

However, Kim didn't stay in the wheelchair for long. Her family managed to keep the word from spreading to the media, but her dad vented about it right when he got to work that morning. Felix's mom overheard and offered Kim a cybertronic wheelchair similar to his, and she was glad to accept. It didn't have all the nifty features, being a prototype, but it was still more than enough to get around. It took Ms. Renton a week to fix it up so none of its original faults were there. Kim didn't use it for long, as three weeks later she was back to normal and ready to kick butt.

That is, until she made a shocking discovery about something Ron did behind her back. Never store a huge bottle of rum in the refrigerator where your girlfriend can see it, even if it's unopened and you never had a drink in your life. Kim knew that school and work were affecting him, but to this? She wasn't surprised he was able to get his hands on it, being in Upperton, and since he wasn't the legal age, she wouldn't allow for it. She knew something wasn't right at all, but she told herself that she was going to talk to him when he got back.

Later on that night, Ron Stoppable had left the building and wasn't coming back.

Without answers to anything, no wonder nothing had gone right since.

* * *

Back to the main story next chapter. 


	8. 7: A Fusion of Light and Dark

**Chapter 7: A Fusion of Light and Dark**

We hit the turning point of the story, and now things will slow down. Some big questions will be answered, finally! ...just to raise even more...

* * *

When it came to a life that consisted of many deeds that were both good and bad, some people saw them as equal. You could do many terrible and bad things in life, but you would make up for them with the good things you did in life. Some people believed that one would simply cancel out the other and all was well.

Kim wasn't among those who believed in such things, but she didn't know if the person who just fought her did as well. The only exception to the theory was that you completely turned your life around for good. And maybe not even then. But when it came to Val, he was driving circles in a yin-yang.

Grounded, beaten, defeated, she stared at him with pure hatred in her eyes. Once radiant, determined beautiful green eyes, now filled with months of sorrow, pain and suffering. She tried as hard as she could to speak, to say something, but every attempt she made to talk only had saliva pouring out of her mouth.

"I have to say, Kim, I am very much impressed," a voice very close to her said. "Considering the way you turned out these last few months, I thought you would be nothing more than a complete pushover. No more, and no less."

Valia stood in front of her still wielding the whip he used in their earlier fight. But knowing that Kim was down for the count and couldn't fight any longer, he put it aside along with the other weaponry in his arsenal and wandered toward the central computer terminal hidden in the darkness. A couple of stairs raised it above the main floor, and he decided to take a load off on one. He removed his trenchcoat as sweat had built on his face. Not from the fight, however; The Core was releasing a lot of heat. That was another advantage to Kim's battle suit – built in air conditioning. Cooling himself off, Val pulled out a glass bottle filled with cherry soda from his trenchcoat, opened it with his mechanical arm and sucked half of it down. Even now, Kim still couldn't believe the mechanical arm moved exactly like a human arm. Fingers, emulated muscle movement, human without being human. He took his time with his drink, and once he was finished, he stood up, stretched and pulled out his whip again. He proceeded toward Kim, both of them knowing full well how helpless she was. But he didn't attack her. He merely knelt down and looked into her frustrated eyes.

"Don't think that I don't understand your frustration, Kim," he said. "You just hate to lose, though too much failure can make one go insane."

"Every… one… does!" she weakly moaned.

Valia seemed to be impressed. "You can talk. But you're wrong. Whenever I encounter my own failures, I don't become frustrated. As a matter of fact, you can learn so much more from your losses than your victories. I didn't think I needed to tell you that. Again, I thought this was something you knew."

Kim still struggled to move, but she could only move her eyes and lips. "What… have… you… done… to me?" she trembled.

Val shrugged his shoulders as he pulled out his whip. Putting it close to her, he allowed Kim to have a much closer view of its eerily green glow. "From what records indicate, this weapon was forged by astrologists in the early 18th century," he explained. "They say that the magnitude of the blast can be controlled by the one who wields it. At a low level, it would inflict a kind of numbing pain, enough to knock you back but nothing life-threatening. I just gave you everything it had. Not only did it deliver a split second of intense pain, but it also completely paralyzed you. But don't worry; the effects are only temporary."

She no longer saw a point to it. Kim stopped trying to move and just dropped. It was almost as if the weight in her body was too much for her to handle. Seeing this, Val got back up and walked around the room in a rather suspicious way, with a noticeably irritated look on his face. Just then, suddenly and without warning, he ran as fast as he could toward Kim and delivered an excruciating soccer ball kick to her gut as hard as he possibly could. Out of all the attacks the battle suit didn't absorb, this was it, and it was enough to knock her into the air. Kim yelled in pain, and it was so loud it could be heard past the outside gates of the place.

With a disgusted look on his face, Val shook his head. "That's for what you said earlier."

Kim found herself hoarsely breathing, almost what sounded like crying until something clogged her throat. And right there in front of him, Kim wound up throwing up her entire dinner. Her Bueno Nacho meal. She was choking briefly afterwards, but it was anything but a pretty sight. Her throat felt like hell when it was over.

Val's face spoke for itself. It took him by surprise. "I couldn't have foreseen that," he said with what sounded like regret. "But I'm not the kind of person who hits a helpless being when they're down, but I don't take shallow words from anybody on this planet. I thought you were better than that, Kimberly Ann. I really did."

Shaking his head, he approached her as he pulled out a small water bottle from his utility belt. He poured it over Kim's mouth to clean the mess on her face, something she would never want anyone in the world to ever see. For good measure, he even popped a breath mint in her mouth, but she didn't have what it took to suck on it. Because she couldn't move the rest of her body, she just laid there. Only her eyes stayed tracked on Val, and even then they looked faintish. If someone had walked into the room, she would have looked half-dead to them.

And it wasn't because of the kick that Val delivered. Like he said before, she wasn't used to failure. Back when he was after his eight artifacts, Kim only got irritated. But as time passed, with no change in the outcome, it only grew worse. Until it happened. After Ron left and Kim moved into the dorms of Upperton, her life really just fell apart. She might have been able to stop a few bad guys here and there, but not a single one was captured. It was really a miracle that the world hadn't been destroyed.

She never realized how much Ron meant to her when he left. She knew she loved him even with all that went wrong in the relationship, but without him, she felt so empty. Needless to say, the emptiness inside of her kept growing bigger and it affected everything. Hero work, obviously, but most of all school work and life. It showed at her job at Club Banana, and the manager, as kindly as she could, let Kim go because she felt that the job wasn't helping anything. There was some truth in it, though. Kim worked at the mall and often saw couples walk by from outside. They always appeared so happy, even though Kim could tell most of these couples wouldn't last a month, if a couple of weeks. There was no real affection, no actual love, just playful… something. Just hot girls with hot guys saying how good they look and how hot they were.

Still, seeing people hold hands with smiles was a constant reminder of Ron, and the manager was right; seeing these people didn't help her mood one bit. Of course, the real reason Kim was let go was because Club Banana didn't want employees who were depressed.

And of course there was her life in Upperton U. where she never had a good day. No one said hi, everyone gave her bad looks, she was the victim of several pranks from decorations being stolen to finding gum on her doorknob, and she had no friends or anyone to talk to. Of course, she had mom, Monique and Jen, but they were busy and didn't have the time to go into a deep conversation with them. She had no outlets, and even though she still kept her grades, she started to care less about everything else in life. Even herself. But she did whatever she could to fight against it. Anyone else who would have gone through so much would have resorted to one of three things: Suicide, giving in, or getting out. She was only interested in the last one, but often went back and forth on it, never forming a solid opinion.

And here she was, helpless on a grated metal floor. She had fought Ryan several times in the past, and even though her failures outnumbered her victories against him, she still had the will to fight. She always had to get her bad guy, even though it was arguable whether he was one, and refused to give up. College had taken so much out of her, but she was determined to stop him no matter what.

She gave the fight everything she had. She tried as hard as she could. She did her best, and she failed. Kim thought to the end that this victory could change everything, and this was the last thread of hope she held onto. Helplessly lying on the floor, she let it go. Just about every ounce of self-esteem, will power and determination went dead inside of her.

There was no getting up anymore. She was done. This was it.

Kim gave up the fight deep inside of her. She felt like she could just die on the floor right there.

Ryan carefully observed Kim as he leaned against the wall, and it wasn't long before her eyes started to tear up. Not even caring if he was watching, she burst into tears again, staring at him the whole time. It was almost a desperate cry for him to finish her off.

But he didn't stare at her with a smile on his face. He knew exactly what Kim was thinking and what was going through her mind. And he watched. But there was no pleasure on his face. No glory. No satisfaction. Nothing that could amount to a positive emotion. It was a rather sad sight, seeing a helpless young girl laying on the floor, crying without a care who was watching. Many wondered what it would be like if Kim Possible ever broke, to lose the will to fight and live. Valia Ryan got a front row view, and he found that it wasn't worth anything enjoying one bit.

But he had done it again. Just as he had done several times before, he lied to her. He downright lied to her. It was true that he did in fact paralyze her, but contrary to what he said, he didn't strike her at its full power. It had been ten minutes since the fight ended, and the paralysis should have worn off long by now.

Kim didn't want to get up. She managed to look away, but otherwise she was like a rock. Nothing would move her.

"Just look at you…" Ryan said quietly, "…without Ron, you really are nothing…" But his comment wasn't intended to be insulting.

"Why?" Kim quietly cried with a broken voice, but able to move her mouth normally. "Why can't I beat you…?"

Val sighed. "It's not easy to accept the fact that perhaps there's someone out there who's better than you at something, Kim. Many things, perhaps. Perhaps everything. But that's the cold, hard reality of life, Kim. That said, there are others who are much more powerful than I am. I'm not exactly the top of the food chain, myself."

Truth? Arguable. Ask martial arts masters and fighters and they'd tell you that his skills were on the brink of surpassing human boundaries. Ask Ryan and he would deny it to the grave.

"But like I've said before…" he continued, "When it comes to martial arts, the fighter's state of mind is what's most important. There's a fine line between serenity and stress."

"Serenity? You?" Kim asked in disbelief, "Please."

"Perhaps," Val quickly replied, "but I've learned how to maintain my composure in combat, even if negative thoughts and emotions cloud my mind at times. You on the other hand, because your mind is filled with nothing but sadness and anger, there was no way you could win. But sadly you don't consider yourself to be a true martial artist, and yet it shows why. Admittedly, you delivered much more than I had expected, but sometimes even your best just isn't good enough. Had this been a fight to the death, you would be worm food…"

Kim found her eyes following a trail of blood moving down his face. "Not like you didn't take a few hits yourself."

Val didn't make much of it. "If I cared about walking out of the place without breaking a sweat, I would have torn your suit open and struck the first chance I could. You know I'm very much capable of that. I've fought you while you were wearing that a long time ago. Don't think I wasn't aware of its primary flaw."

She couldn't believe him. "So you mean… you put me through a long fight… when you could have just ended it… any time you wanted? Why didn't you?"

"It's the journey, not the destination, Kim," he simply answered, "You're one who's concerned only with the outcome of a fight, but not I. I didn't come here just to render you helpless and watch you break. I came here for one reason and one reason alone tonight; To test you…" He rolled his eyes briefly, "…again. Don't think you're alone, Kim. I too know what it's like to lose everything you hold dear, but I wanted to see how it affected you. Even I'm surprised with how much sorrow and hate filled your mind, that you still gave it everything you had. Could a girl, who's lost everything; love, success and focus, still have it in her to fight and succeed?"

"I can still hold my own…" Kim grunted, trying to deny everything he said.

"Before, you could do anything, but everything's different now. The circumstances are no longer the same. You don't have your life partner next to you, you don't have your technical support available, not even the drive to succeed, to live. You can't survive in this world alone, Kim."

She kept glaring at him, and it wasn't long before he became annoyed with the look on her face.

"You can stop wearing that mask of yours and that tough girl act, K. You're not fooling anybody. There's not a single person in the world that has benefited from hiding their feelings or being something they're not with a mask. It only provides a temporary comfort that's not even real. That was the point I was trying to make earlier; back in college, even when you tell yourself that you're not concerned about being accepted by others, you're still concerned with what other people think. And to prove it, here you are trying to act tough in front of me. Whatever you're truly feeling, just let it out. Let it go."

Kim sighed as her face dropped. She couldn't argue against him. "You're right… ever since Ron left I haven't been able to do anything right… I should've known that coming here was a stupid idea…" She was starting to tear up again. "I can't beat you... Here I was in college and you're taking on the world all by yourself… I've tried so hard to train myself but I got caught up in everything else… you've got so much experience… I could… never beat you… What's the point of it all?"

All of a sudden, Val picked up his whip, cracked it, growled, and stomped his way over to Kim. An instant later she found it right on her throat.

"EXPERIENCE MEANS NOTHING! WILL IS EVERYTHING! It was never experience that allowed me to win over you, and if that were the case then you'd be dead! It was will from the very beginning!" he screamed at her.

Kim noticed that the collar of her suit was starting to liquefy from the heat of the whip. It was constructed out of a cybertronic liquid metal, Bradtosium, after all. One would assume that it would burn her, but it didn't.

"This is what I warned you about time and time again!" he raged on. "I _knew_ from the very beginning that the relationship would ruin you, and I warned you to no end so you could prepare for it! But no, you kept believing that everything would be perfect, a life that does not exist! Your expectations for love and life have only led to endless disappointments, half within yourself, resulting in the demise of your self-esteem! We may not be the masters of our destinies; other people may dig holes for us to fall in, but it is up to us and only us to either leap over them or dig ourselves out!"

"You really think it's that easy, Val?" Kim quickly snapped back. "I wanted to live a normal life even without Ron-"

"But you kept dwelling on him every minute of every day for the last six months," he interrupted, "depressing yourself until there was nearly nothing left of you!"

"That's not all! How would you like it if everyone hated you and treated you like dirt?" she yelled with bitter eyes.

Val's eyes widened. "Have you forgotten who you're talking to? Do you still remember _why_ I'm the way I am, or have you forgotten already?"

"Then how can you tell me not to be affected by my own heartbreaks when it's all over you?"

"Even if it has effected who I have become as a person, I never drowned myself in my own depression. Same went for everything else. You can let it consume you, or fight it."

Kim didn't have a response for that.

Val calmed himself slightly. "Don't think I've only heard things here and there, my friend. I saw first hand how everything unfolded. I knew what things were like for you after the Riot."

Kim narrowed her eyes as she stared at him. "Of course you did… _Mat_."

The two stared at each other for a brief moment.

Kim broke the silence. "I should've realized that it was you in a disguise. I wasn't sure who he was, but when I walked in here it couldn't have been more obvious. You're the only guy I know who would hit a girl, or slam their heads against each other. Mat… short for Mathias, huh?"

Val chuckled. Kim figured him out. But he was only slightly impressed. "Seeing past a disguise doesn't mean anything if it's done two months after the encounter. But we're evolving into a society where equal opportunity means everything. You've seen it just as much as I have, girls all over the place with swords and weapons, fighting to save the world, change it so it conveniences them, or destroy it. And then we have those who are cute redheads but lethal, yet obsess over you and ruin your attempts to live a normal life…" he snarled angrily.

Kim, clearly. She put a lot of blame on Val towards the relationship, when a lot of things she accused him of weren't true. However, when he blamed Kim for this, he was right. Ever since the end of the Bay City crisis, after Kim's ruined date at The Shooted where she ran into Drakken and Shego for the first time since they went to jail, she became obsessed with the thought of capturing him and putting him behind bars for good. But it was an excuse for something clearly motivated by revenge. He was the one who arranged the meeting, to prove that jail wouldn't hold him forever. Kim didn't share Val's views of the justice system, he believing it was useless, soft and far too lenient, even though every single one of her foes found a way out of jail endless times.

Kim was angry at the end of the date. She believed that Ryan had finally turned back to the side of light. But he didn't. He was an escaped convict, and even though he wasn't in jail for things he did, she wanted to put him back for those that he did do. Some involved his actions against her and Ron the first time, among the things he did outside the senator's orders, such as killing seventeen people because he felt the world was better off without them (which was the truth, actually – Other than mysterious deaths being at a minimal, Val stole their money and donated them to several charities, and rumor had it a National Geographic photographer found a red Ferrari 355 Spider in Ethiopia. Money was later used to provide a working gas station for it.).

She and Ron ran into him several times before he formed the Circle of Blood, but it wasn't because Val had done anything wrong. He may have been wanted, but he made his attempts to live a normal life and escape everything. They encountered him while he was doing everyday things – from playing music at an expensive restaurant, eating a corn dog in a park, even play at an arcade, even walk down the beach (while using a rubber-like prosthetic to cover up his mechanical arm). Val did everything to fit into a normal life from getting a haircut to wearing everyday clothes, changing his appearance more than one would think. He still got away, but there was much more to expect than Kim and Ron.

"You're a wanted criminal!" Kim cried.

"Who tried the best he could to start over! I did you no wrong and you still hunted me down!"

"What are you so upset about? You got away every single time!"

"You do realize that every time Wade tracked me, that you and Ron were being followed? Every single time I eluded you, I had assassins to fight a few minutes later. Sure, they had three day's worth of training, but it wouldn't stop, Kim. It wouldn't stop. I couldn't start a new life without you leading assassins towards me!"

She actually had no idea. She was more concerned with Ryan paying for his crimes than his own attempts to escape his past once and for all. She wasn't aware that GJ's top agents were following her in attempts to capture Ryan on their own. They weren't assassins as he said, but she was more than certain they threatened to kill him if he didn't surrender or turn himself in. She thought that he started growing his hair and donning his leather trenchcoat again for nothing.

"They never stopped," he continued. "I had to fight a bunch of assassins from justice orgs for nearly a year because you couldn't just leave me alone, after I chose to leave you and Ron alone. You know, maybe I should just finish you off right here, just so I can finally be free of you."

He cracked the whip again, and it was now glowing purple. It quickly melted the metal of Kim's battle suit even further, but thankfully nowhere near embarrassing. The liquid metal still didn't burn.

After that, the two stared at each other with nothing but hatred in their eyes.

"Then do it…" Kim told him. "If you really think that it's going to turn you good again, then go ahead! If that's going to make you use your abilities for the good of everyone, then just do it! And that way I won't have to listen to another word coming out of your mouth!"

* * *

Upon hearing these words, Shego let go of Drakken's hair and looked onto the monitor. Drakken did the same, both of their faces frozen. In fact, every henchman they had gathered up behind them, all with shocked expressions on their faces.

If they ever saw a moment where Kim Possible admitted defeat and actually requested that she be killed for it, this was it.

* * *

There was silence in the room for at least five minutes. Neither of their faces moved, or at least that's what both would tell you. Val's eye twitched from time to time, and Kim's jaw and arms trembled just as much.

Suddenly, he let out a loud angered cry and shot his head towards Kim.

The big fat kill.

And she screamed.

Yet, he didn't move the whip at all. He only shot his head forward to make Kim think he was going to do it. He only looked at her with an unimpressed look, while she was breathing heavily. She thought he was going to do it, and the fear of death actually kicked in at the last second.

His face motioned towards her, and he whispered in her ear, "You know, ever since the day we met, you have _always _been at my mercy. If I wanted to, I could snap you like a twig without you feeling a thing." He pulled back, putting the whip away as he got onto his feet. "But even if I was interested in killing you, I'd only do it while you were at the peak of your abilities, the end result of a true fight between two warriors, but you are anything but. Never embrace death if you fear it."

Kim slowly got up. She found herself breathing heavily all of a sudden, shocked and scared. Meanwhile, Val walked slowly to the hologram which was no longer active, and picked up the computer chip that powered it. After that was done, he put the very same chip into his left arm and turned on the main computer. Out of the shadows he pulled out an office chair and sat down as it booted up. Another small hologram popped out of his arm, giving him every username and password he needed. He started typing with only his right hand afterwards. Kim still had a lot going through her mind, almost knocking every one of her six senses out. Val continued on his work, but the typing was enough to snap her out of it.

"What do you think you're doing?"

"Typing."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Yeah, I can see that, smartass."

Val turned his head to Kim as his fingers continued to work. He rested his cheek against his metal fist, legs crossed. "You know, for somebody who's trying to help disable the security systems down at the penitentiary and assist in Wade's escape, the least you can do is be appreciative… Pah... you women are all the same…"

"Wha…" she wasn't able to form a word at first. "Wait, why?"

"Preparations. If you're going to get him out, then we might as well do what we can to prevent ourselves from getting killed."

Kim blinked a few times. Didn't he just kick her straight in the gut minutes ago? What about that huge and long fight? Kim was more confused than anything, and her mouth let out a few words without her realizing it.

"You're helping me. Why?" a question loaded with suspicion.

"Someone has to," Val replied calmly. "You're not in a condition to do anything by yourself. Alone. And besides, you make it sound like I've never helped you before… Oh, that's right, you don't know."

Kim narrowed her eyes skeptically. "What are you talking about?"

"Sean… he sure is something, isn't he?" he continued.

"Nothing but a great big jerk… so wait…"

Instant flashback to the fight on the train, especially of the mysterious stranger who saved her, the one who wore all black. But carefully inspecting Val, his boots and coat matched those of the one who saved her.

"That was _you_ on the train?" she asked with total disbelief.

"And the one who warned you in the caverns. How many people do you know who can deflect a grenade with a sword? And what about your first partner?"

"Logan… Down in the sewers of Go City, same week we partnered up. The fact that I was still taken blew his mind and he tried to kill me with knives."

Val rubbed his eye. "Heard that his arrest was rather… strange."

Kim rubbed her head as she explained. "A clown came out of nowhere and scared him half to death. Logan ran straight into a brick wall… Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding!"

Valia Ryan? Master of disguise… but a clown?

He couldn't help but laugh. "Close! I only hired the clown after I heard Logan had a phobia of them."

Kim's face dropped completely. "So… you saved my life… twice. Why?" she asked, thinking about Val's claim that she ruined his attempts to live a normal life.

"Fair trade. You save my life, I save yours. First were the nanomachines in my body in that prison cell, and the second was getting me out of-"

"I did NOT get you out of there!" Kim snapped.

"But I couldn't have done it without you. If you hadn't come to interrogate me, my remains would be in the sewage drains by now."

Kim let out a frustrated sigh. Over and over she told him that she didn't get him out, but he kept telling her otherwise. He disappears into the shadows, she opens the cell gate to get a guard, and he's crawling above her on the ceiling the entire time.

"So what is it that you really want, Val? Why are you getting yourself involved further in all of this?"

He turned back to the computer. "Because I'm vexed," he merely answered. "Everyone knows that I was the one who poisoned the senator. Higher-ups, foot soldiers, rookies and even volunteers. And yet they send for you. At first I thought they were growing tired of hunting for me, I figure worker's compensation, but that doesn't appear to be the case."

"What do you mean 'that doesn't appear to be the case'? You told me twenty minutes ago that I was the suspect in the senator poisoning."

Val chuckled to himself. "No, I told you it was only a guess, but that wasn't the truth, either."

Kim rolled her eyes. Again he lied and again she fell for it. "You know, I hope that if you ever get a girlfriend, you're actually honest with her."

Val was hardly optimistic about that possibility. "Only if she's honest with me… not a chance in hell of that. But yes, I do lie a lot. I blame our species. But anyway, best we get back to the subject at hand…"

"They see me as a threat," she explained, remembering earlier.

"No, they don't," he quickly replied, "Whenever they sent agents after me, they always demanded that I surrender before a fight. Yet, with you they try to kill you first. It's not like them at all. This isn't a capture for an arrest, Kim. Someone wants you dead. So if you still think I've framed you or something…"

"So you're not behind any of this? But Dr. Director told me that the orders were put in place because of the senator, just like you guessed, unless…"

Val stopped typing and turned to Kim. "When the head of Global Justice Middleton is misinformed, it only assures me that there's something seriously wrong."

"Misinformed, huh? What do you know?"

Val quickly grabbed something to his right, which was shrouded in the dark. Kim could see that he had a backpack near the chair, a shoulder strap type, and pulled out a few pieces of paper. He handed them to her after he made sure they were lined up and not upside down.

"See the truth for yourself."

Most of the answers Kim was dying for was dumped into the palms of her hands. They were all faxed orders similar to the one she received from Director. The Global Justice fax that Val had was identical the one she received. "Kim Possible must be captured dead or alive, suspected in the poisoning of Senator Kathryn Brown. All sister organizations have the same orders." There was a high reward, but the actual amount wasn't listed. But like Director said, Hard Police, who Sean worked for, wasn't a part of this in any way or form.

However, the information on the sister organization's faxes said otherwise. Contrary to what Betty told Kim, they weren't even close to the same. First of all, they said that Kim was armed and dangerous and was to be killed on the spot. Fire at will. There were no reasons given, just orders. They were also told that Global Justice was given an 'alternative' story and not to contact them in any way or form. Even though they had their orders, they were not expected to oblige, and were not officially a part of the operation.

Betty was duped.

"How did you get these?" Kim skeptically asked. They were legit, printed in the same ink as the fax she had, with the same watermarks, too.

"Got into their databases and sent myself the faxes that you now hold in your hand."

But Kim noticed that he printed out multiple copies from the same organizations. "What's the difference?"

"Check the bottom."

Kim saw it just as he mentioned it, under the 'Authorized by:' part of the fax. On the copies for Ideal Protection, another sister organization, every copy had a separate name for whoever authorized the orders. While every name was indeed a real person, heads of all of the organizations combined, something wasn't right. Either one name would appear on every copy, or all of the names would appear. Looking at the other sister orgs, the same thing occurred. The orders wouldn't require separate names for each copy, almost as if they were randomly generated wildcard style. It didn't take long for Kim to realize this was perhaps the case.

"These orders were generated by a computer, weren't they?" The first thing that came to her mind was how could something like this happen without them realizing it? "But how could this get past the heads… unless they were taken captive or something else…"

Val agreed. "My thoughts exactly. Someone else is behind this, and everyone's falling for it. Hook, line, sinker. They never bother to think."

"Wouldn't those other guys at those justice orgs think something was wrong?"

"Consider these two factors," he explained, putting his hands together. "A) Orders are orders. In the protection industry you follow orders blindly with no questions asked. They call it warrior's pride when they're nothing but pawns. B) When it comes to the reward for your head, pride and honor doesn't mean a thing."

Kim wouldn't question that. Val knew this better than anyone, since it was one of the reasons he turned against The Bosses. "How much…"

"Six hundred billion, 149 million, 293 thousand, twenty two dollars."

"Six… hundred… BILLION?" Kim almost collapsed upon hearing this. "How would they provide _that_ kind of money?"

"Through me…" Val answered, but not allowing Kim to react, he continued. "I assume you probably know that Elurt, the Forefathers and the senator were all rich?"

"Yes…" Kim answered skeptically. "After you did what you did with them, you took all of their money…" She saw where this was going. "So how much money did they all eighteen of them have combined…?"

"From what I found, six hundred billion, 149 million, 293 thousand, twenty two dollars. Digit by digit, and this would be obtained over my dead body. You're not the only one involved in all of this, my friend."

"But I thought you donated all of it."

"Most of it, and that does nothing to ease my suspicions," he claimed. "What I kept was for equipment, food and survival. Someone failed to do their proper research on how much I really had."

Suddenly, the glowing orb in the building, The Core, became smaller, its light becoming slightly dimmer. The doors throughout the building also opened up.

Kim turned around calmly. "Now that I've at least got some information..."

"And where do you think you're going?"

Kim chuckled as she answered. "Don't think I don't know where this is going, Val. You came all the way over here because you want to team up, didn't you?"

He shrugged. "You win."

Kim shot a rather uptight look at him as she turned around again. "So not going to happen. You know, if there's one thing I like about you talking all the time, you spill some good information. I came here to get answers out of you, and I've got some." That was the only reason she listened to him. "Don't think I haven't studied you. Everyone you've partnered up with, you've betrayed. So you and I? Nuh uh. Not going to happen."

"Oh really?" The one in the chair asked calmly. "Then what are you going to do? Are you going to take on the world all by yourself?"

"I just might!"

Kim found her back slammed into the metal floor no less than a second later, finding her legs tied together with Val's whip. He clearly pulled back on it with all he had.

"Have you lost your mind?" he asked as he pulled and dragged Kim closer to him. "Never mind." College stress could affect your decision-making and mentality, no matter what the situation. To him the answer was yes. "Haven't you learned anything tonight other than what I just told you?"

Kim didn't answer him, too focused on shaking herself out of the whip's grasp, but with no luck.

Val groaned. "If you can't beat me, what on earth makes you think you can take on the world alone? I'm armed only with a plasma whip, and they're armed wit-"

"I know," Kim interrupted. "Purple Pigtail girl told me they're armed with rocket and missile launchers."

"Purple… Pigtail girl?" Val asked suspiciously. He became aware that his arm was being tracked by a device Wade made, but not how it came into Kim's possession.

"Yeah," she answered, "She told me not to save Wade because they were armed with rocket and missile launchers."

"Is that so? And what became of this girl?"

"Fell off a cliff after she tried to slice me in half with two swords. But she refused to tell me who she worked for."

"Intriguing…" he replied, plunging himself deep in thought.

For the next minute and a half, Kim struggled to free herself from the whip's grasp, but with no success. Val had a lot of things running through his mind, and Kim grew suspicious after giving up. The whip was wrapped tight.

"You know something else, don't you?"

"No," he wryly answered. "I just find it unusual. You have four assassins, three of which tell you who they work for, and one who doesn't. And yet this girl tells you not to pursue Wade, which is exactly what the black suits want you to do because it's a trap."

"She also tried to kill me, but that was after I refused to listen to her, and like you said, the other three tried to kill me there and then. I don't think she's involved with the rest of these guys…"

"But she knows what's going on as well. Definitely not working with the rest. But you said she fell off a cliff?"

"Yeah, she slid on the ice and went over."

Val scoffed. "Amateurs. None of your enemies or attackers have a brain in their skull, and no doubt the black suits, either."

"The story of my life, and which is why I'm going to that penitentiary to get Wade. You disabled the security, right?"

Val rolled his eyes as he released her from the whip's grasp. "Don't be a fool. You don't have to have a positive IQ to work a range weapon. I don't know why the girl told you what she did, but she only told you half the truth. Helicopters with mini-guns and plenty of tanks surround the area as well. Your battle suit might not be penetrated by bullets, but it won't survive a tank round or any sharp weapons. You also have your head to be concerned about. You can't do this alone."

Kim quickly got up and patted her shoulders. "And why are you going to get deeper into this? Are you going to fight whoever's behind this and poison them as well? I'm not going to fight against the world with you and fill up hospitals with everyone who gets in the way. I'm only fighting for my right to live. I'm not going to partner up with you, Val. Not even if I trusted you, and that's the only reason-"

She quickly turned around to make her way to the door, only to find him right in front of her.

"Kim, I don't think you understand the situation. You've grown careless these last six months, barely able to thwart villain's plans by a thread. Deny it all you want, but I know that you've nearly died time and time again. You've managed to keep the secret from your parents the whole time, haven't you?"

Kim avoided eye contact, trying to brush away the fact. Of course, Val wouldn't let her.

"There's a reason you've received much less hits on your site. Everyone you've helped is worried about you. Stress affects our ability to think and make wise decisions, but you kept telling yourself that it wouldn't affect you. Just within a month after he left, you've lost your footing and fallen off of cliffs, your equipment fails when mountain climbing, you've fallen into several traps in temples, almost into some that were bottomless, you've found yourself just inches away from being killed by explosive devices, just about everything but being lit on fire. But every time, someone was there to save you, and for the last six months, the little ounce of hope left in you told you that, maybe, just maybe, it was Ron. But it never was."

Kim was in thought. "No… not…"

"Do you want to know where I've been these last six months, Kim? Watching. Over. You."

That didn't make her feel any better. As a matter of fact, it did the opposite. "Oh really? You really wanted to see how I'd turn out without Ron, right? You wanted to see how badly it affected me?"

"Yes, actually," he merely answered. "And you want to know something, Kimberly Ann? We are not so different, you and I. Much of what you've experienced in college is what I experienced long ago in high school. The one you thought you loved changed into something completely different, you lost them, it affected and changed you into a different person, everyone treats you like dirt, and thoughts of revenge clouded your mind."

"But not against everybody at Upperton!"

"But against me, and numbers make no difference. I wanted revenge against those who tainted the girl I fell for, and you wanted revenge against the person who 'helped ruin' your relationship."

"But Ron completely changed in two months, there was definitely something wrong there."

"And Michelle changed in less than two weeks," he countered. "No mind control, no gimmicks, just influence and peer pressure from others. One day she's the sweet innocent girl next door, and one party later, she's giving guys lap dances and making out with everyone on the sports teams, and not just the boys. The sad thing? It happens every day all over the world."

Kim wasn't convinced this was the case with Ron. "Look, if you want to partner up with me, gain my trust. But since that's never going to happen, I'm going to ask you to please step out of the way."

Kim tried to walk past Val, but wound up walking into him. She didn't stagger or step back. Their bodies were touching and their noses almost touched.

"Trust?" a flabbergasted Val asked, "Let me remind you of where your 'trust' has gotten you. Do you happen to remember three people by the names of Erik, Logan Rogan and Sean Hanteren? Just how exactly did two become battle partners and one a boyfriend, who wasn't even human I might add? Your 'trust', wasn't it? And didn't they all try to… oh, I don't know, _kill you?_ Just as I said before, too much stress prevents us from making smart decisions."

"Even I make mistakes!"

"And half of them have nearly gotten you killed. Maybe you should consider having someone else make your decisions for you."

"Oh, and I bet the first person that comes to mind is none other than you, the great wise, mighty and intelligent 'Legion' himself, Valia Ryan," Kim cried cynically and sarcastically.

"I'm available, if that's what you're asking," he calmly replied.

Kim rolled her eyes as she backed off and turned around again, only to find Val standing right in front of her yet again.

"The answer is no, Val."

He shook his head as he took a couple of steps forward. "I don't recall giving you a choice. But if you want me to gain your trust, then so be it."

"Really?" Kim replied, no more convinced than before. "How is someone like you, who's fought me so much in the past, has been a thorn in my relationship, pretty much made my life miserable even before the separation, going to get _my_ trust?"

Val chuckled to himself. "Oh, I have my ways. I've just thought up an offer you can't refuse."

"Impress me."

He only popped his neck and crossed his arms.

"I'm going to help you find Ron."

* * *

Drakken and Shego weren't sure if it was a glitch or lag, but Kim suddenly had Val held by the collar of his shirt, to where his feet weren't touching the ground. It was all real-time, though.

"Doc, you'd _better_ tell me what the plan is soon. If he's telling the truth-"

"Relax, Shego. No matter what happens, we stick to it. But let's see where he's going with this…"

* * *

Kim was almost foaming at the teeth, almost bug-eyed as she was glaring at her formidable enemy. Just as the footage implied, she was holding him in the air by his collar.

"YOU **_DO_** KNOW WHERE HE IS!" she yelled with everything she had. "WHERE IS HE?"

For once, Val's expression did change, but it wasn't that of fear. It was of pure irritation. "I'm going to give you three seconds to put me down, or else…"

Kim pulled him closer. "ANSWER ME!"

_1.79_ seconds later, Kim found herself thrown across the room near the entrance. Val landed without missing a beat, putting his collar back in place.

"Don't _ever_ let me see you touch me like that again…" he snarled. "Contrary to what you believe, I haven't seen him in six months, either. In case you weren't paying attention; I told you that I had absolutely nothing to do with his disappearance."

Kim quickly picked herself up. "So how would you know where he's at?"

"I never said I knew where he was."

"Then how will you know where to find him?"

Val brushed his shoulders off. "I know of a device that will give us any and all of the answers we desire. However, I may require Wade's assistance."

It didn't take long for it to hit Kim. "Ancient technology…"

"Exactly."

Kim already had an image in her head, but still wasn't convinced. "This is some kind of trick. You kept using my relationship against me over and over, and now you think that by making things right that I'll trust you?"

"You're not going to survive this ordeal with who you are right now. So, we've got to find Ron and turn you back to normal."

"And what's in it for you?"

"Who knows? Maybe some day you'll return the favor."

Kim wasn't convinced. "Yeah, not buying it, sorry. There's a lot more to this, isn't there?"

"Could be. But that's a secret."

Kim groaned. "If you don't want to tell me, then forget it."

Val sighed. "Have it your way."

Kim rolled her eyes before turning around. She wasn't going to hear Ryan out, and without a word she walked right out of the central core and left. But this time, he wasn't going to do anything to stop her.

"Good luck finding him," a voice behind her echoed. "With the methods you've been using for the last six months, I'm _sure_ you'll find him in no time." Sarcasm. Again his attention went to the Core, in a weakened state. "And here I was thinking that you would do anything for him. It's too bad, really. Just when I think that you are the exception to the world, that maybe true love really does exist, again you prove to me that it's nothing more than an illusion… Your fight will only end in vain and you know it, Kim."

He soon took his eyes off the core, and it didn't surprise him that Kim was standing in front of him again.

"Why do you care?" she asked. Just the thought of finding Ron again had her eyes nearly watered.

"Does it matter?" he came back with. "Like I said before, I only warned you of your relationship falling apart, and it has. I was hoping everything you experienced would prepare you for the worst, but no. You've lost everything, even yourself. Don't think that I don't know what you've gone through, because I have. You really do remind me of myself back when I was betrayed…"

"I didn't turn into a megalomaniacal crackpot."

"Arguable. Even so, you allowed your sadness to consume you, much like I did with my madness. Either way, it affected you for the worse."

"But it doesn't make sense… You just fought me a few minutes ago, kicked me straight in the gut…"

He interrupted her. "Kim, I know how desperate you've gotten. For the last six months you've done everything that's come to mind to track Ron. You even helped create some of the best cutting-edge tracking technology with Wade and your father just to track him down. You've sacrificed everything just to look for him, but with your efforts being unsuccessful… well, I've said it too many times."

Kim sighed. "Okay, fine, I admit it, I have been thinking too much about him and everything's gone downhill. But Val, you can't tell me that's not normal. Imagine someone being there all your life, or even just the one you love, walk out of your life without an explanation."

"I wish I could," he bitterly replied, "You're the only human being on the planet I know with a friendship that's lasted almost a lifetime."

Kim remembered. "Right. 'Friends come, friends go'. Lucky me, I guess." She sure didn't consider herself lucky anymore. "I wish I could show you why you're wrong. No one can prepare themselves for losing the one they love…"

"You may be right. But still, I can't have you go at this alone."

Kim took a few seconds to gather her thoughts. Again, and she really hated to think it, he was right. She had barely survived through many of her missions since Ron left, and even though she was the only person recorded to have beaten Val in combat twice, she wasn't at the top of her game. Not even close. Rock bottom even. And she knew full well it could get her killed. She wasn't sure what to think. Just minutes ago she thought she was going to die and cried in fear. No one had ever gotten that out of her. Not anyone, and she knew right there that it wasn't like her at all. She had changed.

"You're right… but…"

"I don't blame you for not trusting me, Kim, but I can't have you getting killed on me. You know what would happen if word spread about the legend being killed."

Chaos in its pure form worldwide. Yet, her thoughts are elsewhere.

Val saw where this was going. "Y-"

"Don't say it. You're going to say that I should be more concerned for myself right now, and maybe you're right."

An impressed look filled his face. "Very good. But I know you, you're not going to do this unless I assure you that I will help you find Ron. We're both after the same thing, really."

"What's the deal?" she asked.

"I help you find Ron, you never seek me out again. I assure you, if you don't make your attempts to hunt me down, you'll never see me again."

It sounded rather fair, but Kim knew his reasons. "You said one couldn't live a normal life if it wasn't normal to begin with."

"No, but I can try. I get out of your life, you get out of mine. And just to make sure, I'm going to help you find Ron. So…"

He lent out his right hand, the one that was still human.

"How about it? What say you?"

* * *

"No… No, no, no no NO!"

"Shego, calm down!"

Shego quickly got up, infuriated. "He's going to help her locate the buffoon!"

Drakken was sipping his Cocoa Moo. "Don't worry about it."

Shego was furious. "It was hard enough to listen to you and NOT take her out. Do you have any idea how hard it was to keep her boy toy off of her geek's radars?"

Drakken didn't seem worried. "Of course I remember. After the buffoon ran away, we kept on him and made sure he couldn't be located by Kim Possible's tech guru. You-know-who is still doing their job."

Shego couldn't believe how calm her boss was. "Ryan's going to screw up everything!"

Drakken let out an irritatingly long sip. "You worry too much, Shego. Believe me, there's a lot more to Ryan's plan than helping out Possible."

"And what would that be?"

"It's part of _the plan_."

"Okay, Drew, then tell me, what is your plan?"

"Okay, I'll tell you." Drakken went from calm to anxious. "You're going to love this, Shego. We've set the stage for dear Kimberly Ann and Valia Ryan."

"Okay, that doesn't tell me anything. What else do we need to do?"

"Nothing!" Drakken excitedly replied. "Just sit back and watch as the Kim Possible and Valia Ryan destroy each other!"

The room went dead silent and Shego froze. All kinds of nerves in her body twitched repeatedly. If Drakken had been just a few steps closer, he'd hear steam come out of her ears.

"HAVEN'T YOU PAID ATTENTION TO ANYTHING?" she yelled.

Drakken moved back in his chair. "Now, Shego, I know what he said! I'm not blind or deaf, you know!"

"Sometimes I wonder!" she shouted. "So _that's_ your plan? That's your _master_ plan? After the last long and boring year and a half of sparing her and keeping her separated from the buffoon, you're telling me that THIS is what you came up with? WE COULD HAVE FINISHED HER OFF BY NOW!"

"Shego, don't you understand? I assure you, Kim Possible won't survive through this, and we won't have to worry about Ryan either! He'll be the one to destroy Possible, and she'll destroy him! They'll both be out of our lives, and we won't have to do a thing!"

Shego's face was anything but green, not convinced of anything her boss told her. "You… have GOT… to be the BIGGEST IDIOT I'VE EVER MET IN MY LIFE!"

She was about to strike Drakken with her green plasma flames for the thousandth time, but she held back. Instead, she stopped and took off one of her boots. She grabbed something from inside and tossed it towards him. A tracker.

Drakken caught the device in his hand. "What are you doing?"

"Quitting. If you're not going to take advantage of her moopy life and finish her off, then I will!"

"You said 'moopy' again," was Drew's only response.

Growling, Shego quickly turned around and stormed her way towards the door, pushing whatever henchmen she could out of the way.

Drakken realized she wasn't kidding this time. "But Shego! The plan!"

"SCREW THE PLAN!"

It wasn't long before she went into the hangar and took off in her jet. He could see from the security cameras that she was headed out far away, but shortly after, the radar lost her. She found the tracking device in her jet and destroyed it as well.

Yet, Drakken wasn't afraid. He slouched in his chair with his arms crossed, still smirking at the screen. But the thought of Shego ruining the whole plan wasn't a pleasant one. It required absolutely no interference until the final moment, whenever that was, and only Drew Lipsky knew.

For now, he only hoped that Shego wouldn't screw everything up. He had Kim Possible right where he wanted her, but for the last year and a half, he waited to make his final move, using recent 'take over the world' attempts as diversions.

He had something planned. Something big. He watched as Kim and Val stood in the room at the plant.

* * *

Kim looked at Val's human hand with a confused look written all over her face. "You want me to stop interfering with your life, in exchange for Ron? But…"

Anyone who at least heard of Val or any of his aliases knew that he wanted to do the right thing, but it was always done in excessive and brutal force. Many of his victim's lives hung by a needle when he was done with them, and Kim never agreed with his ways of delivering justice. It didn't help that sometimes he just lost it and went crazy during a fight, overwhelmed by his lust for battle.

Even though Val wanted to live a normal life, she knew as much as he did that he'd return to the battlefield. He'd still deliver justice while leaving collateral damage, a pile of beaten bodies and blood trailing behind him wherever he went.

Reading her eyes made it all so clear. "Sometimes you need to make exceptions and sacrifices in what you believe in. But you haven't had any clues regarding where he might be, or if he's still out there."

Kim thought to herself. Could she actually promise him that she'd never interfere with his life again? But for the last six months, she had no clues at all of Ron's whereabouts. Of course, she had no clues of Val's whereabouts, either. Perhaps he could find a way through, but at what cost? But maybe it didn't matter.

For Ron, she'd do anything for him. It was the solid truth.

She slapped his hand away.

"It's… a deal."

She wouldn't shake on it, but it was a deal.

* * *

Drakken wasn't amused. It was as if he anticipated this. He was a bit irritated that Shego left, but she'd be back. She always came back.

* * *

It didn't take long for Val to grab his backpack, but Kim could tell, now that it wasn't hidden in darkness, that it was rather heavy. He probably had everything in there. He was about to head out the front entrance until Kim stopped him.

"One question…" she asked.

He turned around briefly. "What is it?"

It was a difficult question, one that circled in her mind ever since they met. "Why me?"

"I thought we discussed the current events."

"No. I mean… why me? Why am I the one you're after? Wherever I walk, you're the lingering shadow…"

Val knew Kim didn't necessarily mean in a fight. He kept track of everything that was going on in her life, and she knew it. He had been involved in her life so many times, or he saw to it that she was involved in his in some way. "I'm not sure," he answered. "Maybe it's because you were so well-revered as a legend, and yet you have so many flaws deep within you. Maybe it's because around you, my life has some sense of meaning. Through what you do, maybe I've found a real reason to live. Maybe I've found a reason to die. I really don't understand it myself."

Kim didn't respond.

"Come on. Those guards won't be unconscious forever, and they'll realize that the security's been shut down. We don't have much time."

The two soon made their way outside. The weather had changed, as the moon was no longer shielded out by clouds. Still, it wasn't the best feeling for Kim, walking past several unconscious guards. They were all breathing normally, but Val was right, they would all regain consciousness soon, and all hell would break loose. The alarms would go off, word would spread that Possible and Legion were in the area, and they would actually be long gone.

Kim had to use her grappling hook to grab the equipment she left on the upper entrance. She leapt off the building and landed on her feet, the suit taking any harmful damage. She made it look natural.

"The penitentiary is only a few miles south from here," Val informed her as they were near the main road.

"I have a bike. I figured pigtail girl won't need it. But…" She was reluctant to let Val drive or let him ride behind her, as much as she hated to think it.

He already knew. "Go on ahead. I'll meet you there."

"How are you going to get there?"

"I've got ways," he assured her.

"Okay." With that, Kim started the bike, and without saying anything else, drove off south.

Val just watched as she disappeared into the night. He stood in front of the place in the middle of the road for five minutes before chuckling to himself.

"That was much easier than I thought it would be…"

With that, he vanished into thin air, but not in what he was trained in. Something unusual.

* * *

"_Kim? Kim? Can you hear me?"_

Barely. Kim picked up the communicator from her gun holster.

"Good to see you made it home, Monique. How's the sitch over there?"

"_Girl, I was about to ask you the same question! It's been two hours and I haven't heard from you! What's going on?"_

"You're not going to believe this. Val's caught up in the same thing and wanted to team up with me."

"_You said no, right?"_

There was a noticeable silence on Kim's end.

Monique couldn't believe it. "_Kim, you didn't! Why?"_

"We… made a deal," she hesitantly answered. "He's not sure I can handle it, but after this is done, he said we'll never see each other again, as long as I don't look for him."

"_And what's he going to do to make sure you don't do that?"_

"He knows how to find Ron."

"_Ron? How? Wade hasn't been able to find him for the last six months!"_

"He wasn't able to find Val either until now, and I'm sure Val did something to make sure I'd find him."

Monique slapped her forehead. _"That's what I forgot to tell you!"_

"Wade got the materials for the tracker by an anonymous source?"

"_How'd you know?"_

"I just think of the dumbest and most unbelievable thing in my head."

"_Are you sure you can trust him?"_

"Of course not. But if he can help me find Ron, I'll take whatever help I can."

"_Kim, don't tell me he suckered you in because of Ron."_

"Oh, I'm not expecting much. I'll play his little game for now… just to get whatever info I need to get myself out of this."

Monique let out a sigh of relief. _"Even so, at least you have a partner, and probably the best out there."_

"Still…" In her mind, there was someone else who held that title.

"_Oh, gotta go. Black suits decided to check my room every ten minutes."_

"Are you all right?"

"_Actually, it's nothing to worry about. They got caught up with the wrestling match tonight. Other than that, they're just taking up space. No interrogations or anything."_

"Huh. Let's keep it that way, okay? Don't provoke them."

"_I won't. I'll call you tomorrow, okay?"_

"Got it."

"_And be careful!"_

"Don't worry. I will."


	9. 8: Among Distorted Relations

**Chapter 8: Among Distorted Relations**

I intended to end this chapter differently, but I got carried away again. All the better for the next one.

* * *

Kim had been sitting there for nearly a half hour. Her mind was in another world, eyes closed and exhaling. She had never done something like this before taking on anybody, but there was reason for it. She was tense. Usually when it came to infiltrations, she and Ron could pull it off without too much trouble. There was never an occasion of 'no trouble', since she was always discovered in some way. She was very sure tonight wouldn't be any different, and the cost of being discovered would definitely be deadly, if not chaotic. 

Ryan was right; she couldn't do it alone. It was arguable whether or not Kim's lack of confidence had to do with it, but either way the odds weren't fair.

She was at the penitentiary where Wade was held. Hidden behind several hills and no bigger than the DMV, the small prison was heavily, heavily guarded. Flat terrain surrounded it for several feet, minus one suspiciously placed boulder where none of the guards would even look.

Kim didn't find it hard to find a hiding spot. Everyone else on the planet would look behind the big giant rock that was in the middle of everything, but not these guys. Still, strategic intelligence didn't mean much when it came to numbers in arms.

At least two hundred guards patrolled every crook and ninny of the place, and that wasn't all. Eight spotlights, two located on a tower at every corner of the building, swept through every rock and shadow as far as the eye could see. Of course, with that big boulder in the way, it didn't help much there, much to Kim's fortune. Other than the guards, five tanks were ready to fire in case the alarms had gone off, including a helicopter that sat on top of the building. It wasn't active, but that didn't matter when its mini-gun was.

Even though Val said she couldn't do it, she was tired of waiting for him.

Kim was still wearing her battle suit. Although one would have preferred she take the stealth suit, she wouldn't blend in. While it was well past midnight, the place was heavily lit. Even someone without their glasses could see a black figure running on flat white-brown dirt terrain. A white suit with blue linings wouldn't be much different, but less apparent.

"So, what's on your mind?"

Kim had her mouth covered before she could let out a startled cry. She quickly took the hand off.

"Val! Where did you come from?" she whispered loudly.

And there he was, lying against the rock just as calm as ever, arms crossed in front of him. He was staring at the moon right above him. Kim looked upward to see what the big deal was, and strangely, there were two rainbow rings around the moon. A rare sight.

"I'm here and there…" he merely answered, "So you were really going to do it alone…"

Kim had analyzed the situation long enough, but had her own conclusions. "Take a closer look at those guards. They look like soldiers at first glance, but something's not right."

Val peeked his head out, but pulled it right back as the spotlight passed him. He waited until the light near the edge of the rock dimmed down. He only peeked his head out for a second before resuming his relaxed position.

"Even more interesting."

First of all, while the guards appeared at first to be soldiers with their military camouflage, the colors were way off. In a desert-like area, one would wear similar colors. Yet, in a place where the terrain was a light tan color, they were wearing blue camouflage. But Val noticed something that Kim didn't. Usually when soldiers patrol an area, they carry an assault rifle or other heavy weaponry. But for some reason, these guards, all two hundred or so of them, had handguns. They all had masks to hide their faces, yet wore hats with camo that matched their outfits. They weren't real soldiers at all, but rather agents in disguise. Someone didn't take the time to make sure they appeared authentic.

"They're not experienced. I can get past them."

Kim waited until the light on the edge of the rock, where she was at, dimmed down. Then she made her move…

… only to be grabbed by the hair and pulled all the way back, and it didn't help that some of her hair got stuck in-between the pieces of Val's metal hand.

"Experience means nothing, damn it," Val whispered, his expression firm as before. "Any idiot can operate a weapon. Are you even thinking straight?"

Kim did everything not to yell out loud, since what Val did was the most painful thing he had done all night. She even tried to punch him, but he grabbed her fist. He didn't show much remorse, seeing that it was better that Kim get hurt than for her to get seen and shot to pieces, even with a bullet-reflecting suit, one that was _glowing_ blue. Kim was embarrassed when she noticed this, but after Val released her hand, she turned on the stealth camouflage feature. She couldn't believe she forgot about it, making it more apparent to her new partner that she was edgy.

"Right…" he spoke with anything but an impressed tone, pulling out strings of red hair from his metal fingers. "Like they're not going to notice a floating head running around the place. They're dumb but not _that_ dumb."

If Ron were still around, he'd tell you that the easiest and quickest way to irk Kim was to pull on her hair. "Are you like this to _everyone_ you partner up with?" Kim asked angrily, holding her head.

"I manipulate them with trust first, but there's no need for that here. Even if it meant hurting you, I just saved you from getting yourself killed."

Kim then realized something. According to what Val and the girl told her, the place was surrounded by hundreds of guards, helicopters and tanks. Shouldn't something have been different?

"I thought you disabled the security!" she whispered loudly. It was a good thing the closest a guard came to the rock was 50 feet away.

Val then pulled out a device with a button on it, looking similar to a detonator. "I wanted to see if you were stubborn enough to rush right in. That's exactly what they want you to do. It's a good thing you have someone like me to keep you alive."

Kim was starting to grow concerned with the device. Out of all of Val's unique and custom weapons, devices and technology, he just had to have something with a big red button on it.

"Watch and learn, Kimberly Ann. Oh, and keep your cool."

He pressed the switch, and instantly the alarms had gone off.

"Shoot."

Kim wasn't sure what to do, but Val put his right arm over her face, telling her to keep still. From the other side of the rock, everybody was scrambling in circles until a voice over a loudspeaker could be heard.

"_The target has been sighted at Location 359! Everyone is to head there immediately!"_

Just as the word was said, the helicopter took off and went north. The tanks soon followed, and many of the guards had hopped aboard a Hummer and got in the interstate.

The place was cleared entirely within two minutes.

Val chuckled at the reaction. "I only sent video footage of you heading inside the plant. Incredible. Had they looked at the time on the video, they would have known that you had gone in there a few hours ago."

Kim didn't like to play sidekick, but since Val was always in control no matter what the situation, she had to. "So… what's the plan?"

He tried to explain it briefly. "Easy, we go and find Wade. Because he's the only occupant, I expect him to be held in the deepest cell. We have a time limit of thirty five minutes. Soon they'll realize they were thrown off, but we can't leave any traces and let them know we were here."

Kim looked at the building. It was only a story tall and not that wide to begin with. "Let me guess, an underground prison?"

"Right on the money."

They quickly ran across the field and snuck inside. There was an elevator available, but when the floor number has the shape of a skull instead, it's just a trap waiting to happen. So they made their way to the stairs, and the first thing Kim noticed was that a security camera was staring right at her.

"Don't worry. I also disabled all of the security cameras. They'll come back online in a half hour, so we better make haste."

He wasn't kidding. They had to race through a total of fifty floors of halls and cells. The surface was only the first floor. So why would anyone make an underground prison? To deny its occupants the light of the surface, thinking that every outdoor function from sports to weightlifting tempted prisoners to escape. Also, because the place was underground, it was much more difficult to make an escape with guards ready to get you on the above floors. The walls? So strong that C4 plastic explosives didn't scratch them.

Kim was getting a little perplexed as she leapt through the empty halls with empty cells. There should have been bars on these cells, right? Even though they were empty, there was no sight of anything that would keep prisoners sealed inside. Was the construction not complete? Or maybe there was something else, and she was starting to lean on this.

The trip downstairs took shorter than they thought. Jumping from wall to wall, in the halls and in the stairs, was definitely much faster than traversing on foot.

Finally, on the final floor, they noticed a dim green light at the very end of the hall. When they reached it, there he was.

Wade.

Other than the fact that he was sleeping in an extremely cold cell and on a rather uncomfortable-looking bench, he was being held inside rather well. Kim could see the answer to her previous question. Instead of using traditional bars, some kind of cyan electric force field was keeping him trapped inside. There were no visible means of unlocking it. No keyhole, nothing to slip a security card into, nothing.

Without saying a word, Kim pulled out some kind of disc and tried to place it on the field as gently as she could. Just within an inch of the field, it clung onto it. The field flashed blue and yellow rapidly as a result, but before long the disc absorbed the energy of the field. It vanished right in front of them, and the disc fell onto the floor.

All the noise was enough to wake up the occupant inside. Fortunately for Wade, he wasn't wearing just a shirt, but had a sweatshirt and a jacket to keep himself warm. It almost looked as if he came prepared. He stretched out his arms and yawned, forgetting where he was until he heard a familiar voice.

"Wade?"

Oddly enough, he got a good night sleep, barely able to see anything. "Kim? Is…" He rubbed his eyes further, seeing his comrade right in front of him. "Kim? What are you doing here?"

"Here to save you, duh."

He rubbed his head as he sat upward. "I wasn't sure if you would make it past the security. Kim, I don't think it was a good idea that you came here, but since you're already here…"

"I don't care. Once I heard what happened, I wasn't going to let them do anything else to you, and I sure wasn't going to let you freeze here all alone."

Well, they expected Kim Possible to come and get her colleague, Wade Load, and she did. He wasn't sure what else to make of it, but since Kim was safe and successful in making it down here, there was no need for him to worry so much.

"Did they do anything to you?" Kim asked.

"No… After I heard about Sean, I tried to see what information I could dig up on anything he said. But when-"

"We don't have time for this!" a voice in the shadows yelled.

Wade looked past Kim to see who it was, only seeing Val's glowing blue eyes staring back at him.

"Kim… is that?"

"Yeah."

Val shortly made his way inside to get a closer look at Wade. One would expect for Ryan, despite being Ron's height, to be huge in comparison.

"Hmm. You're not as short as I thought you would be…" Val speculated.

Wade was in fact much taller than the last time he left his room. "What can I say? I'm having a growth spurt. So you're Val… the one who's kept me up on sleepless nights trying to keep up with you…"

You'd be bitter too if you could do everything with a keyboard, only to find out that someone's throwing off your tracking devices numerous times, especially when it continues for nearly a year. It didn't mean that Val was smarter than Wade, but he knew how to keep a low profile and throw him off when he needed to.

"Indeed. I'm thrilled of your reunion," his face said anything but, "but I'm afraid the security for the prison will come back online soon. If I'm lucky _I'll_ be able to avoid the gun cameras, but I can't assure _your_ safety. You can explain to us the details later and ask any questions then. The diversion won't last much longer."

"You said a half hour, right?" Kim asked. "It's only been seven minutes."

"The trip down was effortless. The same can't be said for heading back up."

Something hit Kim's mind. "Val, you said they can't know that we were ever here. I'm sure they'll notice Wade's gone."

"No they won't," Wade quickly replied. He walked toward the corner of the cell and unzipped something. However, the room wasn't entirely dark and it wasn't something hidden in the darkness. It was invisible. He pulled out some kind of disc and tossed it onto the bench. Seconds later, a hologram of him sleeping appeared. A Holo-Wade.

"They won't notice the difference," Wade said with a smug look on his face.

Kim and Val looked at each other briefly before turning their eyes towards the invisible backpack. "Stealth cloaking?"

"You got it." After that, Wade pulled it off to reveal a big backpack.

Kim smiled. "You sure came prepared, huh? And they never checked it…"

Wade strapped it on and walked past the other two. "Like I said, they just tossed me in the cell. No interrogations, just a trap waiting to happen." He turned his attention to the small disk Kim still had handy. "Let me see that."

Kim and Val walked outside of the cell and let Wade do his thing. By holding it at a 90 degree angle and right where the field was, he reactivated it. It came right out of the disc and it was like nothing had happened. He calmly put the small device into his pocket and made his way towards the other end of the hall, only to realize the long flight of stairs he'd have to go through. Sighing, he told himself he could do it.

"I told myself I needed more exercise…"

And just as Val said, going up would prove to be long. He went on ahead and got up the same way he got down. Kim stayed with Wade, knowing that he'd soon lose his breath soon.

"C'mon Wade, breathe! You can do it!"

It took them a little over twenty minutes to get all the way back up. A thousand stairs with a huge backpack on. Wade collapsed on the first floor with hardly any breath in him. When he came to, he slowly picked himself up with Kim's help.

"I need a vacation."

Suddenly, one of the cameras turned on and focused on them. It had a light that turned red and sounded like it was charging something.

It wasn't a surveillance camera.

It was a gun camera.

Kim grabbed Wade and ran for it. Fortunately, since the intruders escaped its scope of vision, the camera saw no need to fire.

They found themselves outside again, and it was just as clear as ever. Everyone was still at the plant, probably searching every crook and ninny for Kim. Considering the size of the place, and the fact that the core was weakened earlier, they were going to be there awhile.

"So… where… where do we go now?" Wade asked Kim, panting.

She didn't have an answer for him. She didn't think it out, actually. She knew she was going to bust him out of prison, and that was it. Kim was too used to the fact that normally she'd save someone then go home. But she couldn't go home, and neither could Wade. Both then turned to the dark one.

He wasn't even there. Instead, Wade found a note attached to his back, very similar in the "kick me" fashion. He simply grabbed the note and read it.

"Stay put."

Kim grabbed it to see for herself. Sure enough, that was the whole note. While she was tempted to head outside the area towards the interstate, Wade chose to listen. Because he did, she did too. Still, it wasn't very comforting staying put in the middle of an open field. If a sniper were in the area, she'd be too easy to pick off. Instead, from the corner of her eye, Kim noticed a huge eighteen wheeler was making its way there.

Val waved from inside as the horn was tuned to "La Cucaracha".

Kim grabbed her bag, and the two quickly got inside. Realizing they were hitting the road, they all donned disguises. Val already had green contacts with a curly brown hair wig. Kim pulled out her disguise from her bag. It was simply a blonde wig with purple streaks. Wade on the other hand, since he came packed, it was no surprise he had his own disguise. But Kim was completely baffled by it.

"An afro with a goatee, Wade?"

"What?" he asked innocently. "Even I wonder how I look when I grow up. So… Val… Where are we headed?"

The driver didn't immediately answer, getting the vehicle onto the highway and headed further south towards Lowerton. "Middleton's too chaotic as it is. Our best bet is to leave the country."

"Leave the country?" the other two asked simultaneously.

Without saying a word, Val turned up the radio. Local Middleton News 24/ 7.

"_I want my boy back!" _a frantic woman called 'Wade's Mom' yelled. _"How can he be guilty of a crime? He never leaves his room! He didn't do anything wrong! I want him back in this house even if he's in his room! You can expect lawsuits when this is all over! This ain't legal!"_

"_That's what Mrs. Load told the press earlier tonight after her 13-year old son, Wade Load, was arrested by the act of treason earlier this afternoon. Over to you, Silvia."_

"_Thank you, Tammy. We're also aware that the world-famous teen hero, Kim Possible, is also suspected with the treason and is still on the loose. While we don't have enough information or details concerning this crisis, we have a news crew over at the Possible residence, where many have protested, believing that with the warrant for Kim Possible's arrest being released, their hero has turned to the dark side. Others have protested in favor, believing that this is nothing more than a plot by many of her foes. Next to me I have a young college student, a friend of Kim Possible's. Bonnie, was it?"_

Uh oh.

"_Bonnie Rockwaller, captain of the cheerleading squad for Middleton University, that's me. Oh yeah, I've known Kim since middle school, and I always knew there was something suspicious about what she does. Also, ever since her boyfriend left her, she hasn't been all there, and no one likes her down at the college she's at. But even in high school she always took credit for everything I did. Good luck on finding her."_

Kim couldn't believe it. The last time she heard of Bonnie, she actually apologized for everything she had ever done to Kim. Of course, that was at the funeral almost two years ago. Bonnie felt bad that her cousin, out of pure insanity, kidnapped Kim and almost had her and Ron killed. Knowing that he died had some kind of effect on her.

"Why… that little…"

Val wasn't surprised. "Cousin Bonnie wasn't too happy to find out I was still alive when we had our duel on the Tower that fateful night."

He broadcasted the fight worldwide for everyone to enjoy. Bonnie was more than surprised to see that her cousin Valia Ryan was still alive and kicking. It was the thought that he died that made her feel bad for Kim, showing an emotional side that no one ever saw or thought even existed, but she took a total U-Turn on the night of the fight. She was convinced instead of Val dying, Kim nearly took his life. Even though she barely knew him, she hated her even more for it. When Val formed the Circle of Blood and made his announcement, she was shocked, only because it would affect her life. Relieved she was when he said it was all bull. She could care less what took place near Tokyo that night.

So just about everyone has bizarre family relationships. Kim's cousin is a nerd, Ron's cousin is a psychotic freak, Drakken's cousin is a car junkie, and Bonnie's cousin happens to be the badass super ninja called Legion. The odds…

There was no returning to Middleton. Not now.

"I've got to let them know!" Kim cried. "But…"

"Your life is more important than your reputation," Val explained, "Knowing that you're wanted, you have more people in Middleton willing to turn you in. You're not ready to fight this."

"So we just wait until the fire burns out?" she asked. "But out of the country?"

"Word will spread quickly now that Middleton's aware. They don't think you're far. So leaving the country will give us as much time as we need to get the answers we desire."

"Uh, yeah, Val." Kim replied, "Isn't the whole world after me now?"

"Not really," Wade answered. Before he could continue, Legion interrupted.

"Besides…" Val chuckled to himself. "I have a promise to fulfill."

"Promise?" Wade asked as he turned to Kim. "Okay, first you're teaming up, I already figured that out. What kind of promise?"

"Ron…" Kim answered. "So that's the plan, Val? We leave the country, but instead of going into exile or whatever, we find Ron."

Wade couldn't believe what he had heard. "How? I've done everything from satellites to biological scans worldwide!"

"You couldn't find me either, until today," Val retorted. "In case you're wondering, I was in on this before Sean made his move, and I knew I had to get involved. Those parts you received the other day?"

Wade slouched in his seat. "From you…"

"Precisely. You may have used all of the techniques given to you by modern technology, but you may require more than just that to find Stoppable…"

"Ancient technology." Wade guessed. "So where would we find that?"

Either Val was speeding on the road, or Lowerton was closer than expected. The airport could be seen in the distance.

"We need to return to Area 46. This can be dealt with later. Right now, the primary objective is to find Ron Stoppable. No questions asked." Val refused to talk after that.

What happened next was rather… wrong, just like everything. Much to her chagrin, Kim had to pretend to be Val's wife in getting plane tickets. He handled the negotiations and all, getting a private plane for the dysfunctional family. She wasn't even paying attention. Just pretending to be Val's wife… something was just completely wrongsick with the picture. Wade on the other hand got a kick out of it since people thought he was older. Kim never felt so awkward in her life. Fortunately, no black suits or suspicious guards were around, even with the news focused on Middleton. Kim's parents were being interviewed.

"_I know my Kimmie-cub isn't guilty of this. If she is, she's in trouble."_

"_Kimmie's been through so much stress, but something's not right at all. Three people try to kill her and now this?"_

The tweebs on the other hand were having a ball with the black suits. Every agent had both of them running in circles, only to find their equipment stolen. Kim almost felt bad for them. Once the tweebs take a mechanical device from you, you'd never see it again. But seeing as these guys were after her, she didn't feel bad for them. Her attention was taken off when the clerk said something.

"You kind of look like that Kim Possible girl."

"You don't say."

"Yeah, you kinda have her eyes. Well, enjoy your trip."

A half hour later, they were off on a plane headed towards the Atlantic.

* * *

The night felt eternal. So much had been going on and there was no sign of the sun coming up anytime soon. With the way the plane rattled, Kim and Wade wished they had some way of knowing that time wasn't still. 

Valia had gotten a plane that any modern Lowerton citizen of the higher-middle class could afford. Nothing fancy, not too terrible. Much better than the hunk of junk he stole a long time back. It was going up and down a lot, but probably because there were snowstorms on the eastern coast. The snow wasn't too bad but the winds weren't a calm breeze.

"So Wade, you didn't find out anything?" Kim asked.

There were a handful of seats, and the three of them were scattered around. For all of them, they took up a seat and their bags took up another. Val was the only one laying down, using his bag as a pillow with his legs crossed, half asleep.

"Just everything you know so far," Wade explained. "I think we all know that these black suits, agents and soldiers aren't authentic. I've seen the professionals in action from my room from all over the world, and there are so many things wrong with their tactics and strategies. I wouldn't be surprised if they were actually mercenaries. But like Val, I looked into all of their databases to find out anything. Like he said, the orders were generated from a computer wildcard style."

"Wade, I said something about the whole world being after me, but you said 'not really'. What did you mean by that?"

"At least from the info I found, the orders only wanted those in the state to get you," he explained with some disbelief. "I'm sure it'll turn into a worldwide hunt soon."

"Someone has to realize something was wrong."

"Like I said," Val intervened out of nowhere, "Sometimes they won't care as long as the reward is fulfilling. You're also expected to obey your orders. Usually questioning them gets you relieved from your duties, or in some cases, killed. Pray this isn't the case entirely."

"Either way, I've got to contact Dr. Director in some way and tell her what's going on," Kim told herself.

"That might not be necessary…" Wade explained further. "I found the orders from all of the other organizations in GJ's database. I think she knew something was wrong and got a hacker to see what everyone else was up to. I think she knows more than what she let off."

"So you're saying that she knew everything that was going on, but still gave me the false story?"

"It wasn't easy to get into the database, Kim. They were definitely under heavy surveillance to ensure other agents wouldn't be assisting you in combat. Maybe she realized that private room was heavily guarded. She probably did what she did to make herself anything but suspicious to them."

Okay, maybe Betty wasn't duped, Kim thought. "Well, she gave of a convincing performance… but still, if this isn't an official government operation, who's behind it?"

Wade sighed. "I don't know. I was trying to get past another firewall and that's when the black suits came in. It's weird. They don't want GJ interfering, but they won't get anywhere near them. But they knew you were going to head there…"

"I don't get that myself…" Kim wondered. "If they knew I was headed over there then why didn't they head there in the first place?"

"Unprepared…" Val answered with a long yawn. "They had GJ under surveillance but thought you'd be at home. After your place was secured, they went after Ron's place, Wade's, and everyone else you knew, including your allies in Bay City. Apparently, no one was checking the cameras at GJ, or they would have realized you were there. Just when they returned to the cameras, you used your communicator to contact Wade, only to contact them. It was embarrassing to listen to them scramble."

"And you know this how?" Kim asked.

"Tapped onto their radio signal before this whole thing started. They may be inexperienced, but there is power in numbers. Things will calm down soon enough."

The plane flew in silence for some time after Val mentioned that. It was a bad situation. So if Betty knew everything that was really going on, from the false story given to her to the base being put under surveillance, was there a chance she was already attempting to figure this out on her own? That's what Kim thought, anyway. Betty wouldn't buy something she was suspicious about, but she had to keep quiet. She had known Kim for a few years, and in that time she knew that Kim was no threat. It didn't take her long to figure out why Betty delivered the false story, because she believed Kim was more than smart to figure out the truth soon enough.

A lot of things ran through Kim's mind.

Was is possible that she anticipated that Kim would be forced to team up with Val? The truth was, no. Like Kim, Betty also wanted Val behind bars. Not only because of the crimes he did during the Bay City Crisis, but also because of what he did to agents who were sent after him before and during the Circle of Blood threat. She was slightly irritated that he managed to make chump change out of her top agents, including Will Du, but most of them were hospitalized after he was done with them. It was arguable whether or not it was Val's fault, though. He'd tell you that you shouldn't be armed with harmful weapons unless you're prepared for the possibility that in fact, they might be used against you. They ranged from electric swords, the beam tongfers that he first fought Kim and Ron with, sonic cannons similar to the one Kim had equipped on her battle suit, to guns that fired homing lasers. Of course, he would argue that it was done in self-defense, but he had a habit of overdoing it, making the agents fear the very weapons they used. Because of this, Betty saw Val as a threat to her agents and needed to be put away. Of course, he refused to be captured.

Then it hit Kim. Betty sent her to deal with Ryan in hopes that she could actually take him down. During that time, she would quietly do whatever she could to find out what was going on and who was behind all of this. If all had gone well, they would capture not only the creep who sent everyone to kill Kim, but Ryan wouldn't be on the streets, either.

But Kim didn't take him down, and chaos had bloomed in Middleton. It was far from over. So many thoughts and she didn't know which one was right… what the truth was… But instead of confronting the problem directly, they fled. Something didn't seem right.

"Val… even you could take them down…"

"Pardon?"

"You said it was too dangerous to take on so many people… didn't you take down _thousands_ when you disbanded the Circle of Blood?"

He stretched as he slowly sat upward. "You would believe so… most of them ran after I disbanded it with no intention to fight. Besides, I was armed with numerous armored walking battle tanks and mechs. You can only take on so many people with semi-automatics at once. There are some situations where you can run right into the fire and raise some hell without getting burned. This is not one of them…" His head fell right back on the cushion afterwards. He was out, or so it appeared.

Seeing as the coast was clear, Wade spoke. "So… Kim… Do you really think we can find Ron? What if it's a trap?"

"Sometimes you have to trip the trap to get anywhere, Wade…" Kim replied with a sudden change in her tone. "If he can get us to even a _step_ closer to where Ron's at, then I'll take it. I know he's still alive out there."

Teaming up with Valia Ryan to find Ron. It didn't take Wade more than a second to see what this was, and Kim saw it as well:

An act of desperation.

For the last six months Kim hadn't seen Ron or had any reliable clues to his whereabouts. There had been times where Wade was tipped by anonymous sources of what came to be known as "Ron sightings" but every lead was a dud, almost as if taunting Kim. Not many knew that she nearly broke down when she didn't find Ron on the Christmas when he and Drakken went missing. That was bad enough for someone who hated to cry, but the numerous false leads were tough for her to handle.

But if Ryan hadn't seen him in the last six months, who was it? It definitely wasn't the person behind this whole conspiracy thing, unless they claimed to have Ron in their possession as a hostage. Kim wasn't sure why she told herself that, but she only wished it was the same thing. It would make things a lot easier; take down the bad guys, get back her Ron and do whatever she could to ensure he didn't leave again. But she never thought about the time. He had been gone for six months. What if he changed even more for the worse? What if he lived a life where he didn't need her? What if he found somebody else? Not one of these questions came to mind.

She wouldn't tell you that Ron Stoppable turned into a rotten jerk. While he was unloving, cruel and rude before he left, she knew that it wasn't like him. Something was wrong. No matter what hardships Ron had gone through, she was always there to help him out of it. This would be no different.

And there it was. The sunrise. Despite flying over oceans all over the world, it was the third time she had seen a sunrise over the ocean. Wade on the other hand was almost blinded because he never saw them. If only he didn't have monitors and computer towers blocking his windows. Skies had cleared from earlier. It was beautiful, enough to make Kim feel miserable for being lonely. But then again, it was like a good omen. She couldn't explain it, but she had a feeling that Ron was not only alive, but she was going to see him sooner than anyone would anticipate. It had been a long time since she felt this, the first being shortly after he left. Why was she telling herself things were going to get better from here on out?

Hope and faith, the illusions that keep us going and prevents us from killing ourselves and giving up; the thought that the road ahead will have its eternal rewards. It had been a long time since Kim saw something so beautiful, though. Sometimes we all need a sight to soothe our minds.

Had they known better, they would have realized they were being followed.

And had the pilot of that plane known better, he would have realized that he was being followed, too.

* * *

"Are you sure this is the place?" 

"The one and only."

Back in the depths of Area 46, Val had led the other two deep into the underground caverns. They had wandered around for a long time, much more than when Kim originally came here. It made her and Wade believe they were lost, until they walked into an area where dirt replaced the air. While they all had lights, Val with a peculiar one coming from his jacket that he refused to reveal, they were forced to use them more around this area. It didn't take long for them to realize where they were at. Kim noticed what appeared to be railroad tracks; this was where that transport train used to be, the same one that Sean attacked her in just two days ago.

Two days ago… It's already felt like more.

But instead of going down there, Val guided their focus to the giant rock sitting next to him. There was nothing special or unordinary about it compared to the others. That was until he leaned against it. Instead of his hand resting on the surface, it went right through, and he soon followed. Unsure of what happened, Kim and Wade went to inspect it, only for Val's hand to come out of it and ask them to come inside.

The rock wasn't a hologram. There were no distortions of any kind, and it wasn't electronic. Not knowing what to think of it, they walked right through, just to find him on the other side, calm as ever. He did it all intentionally.

"What the heck was that?" Wade asked.

"That's nothing compared to what you're about to see," Val answered, gesturing for the two to look over his shoulder.

They were in a narrow hallway with rocks as the walls, but they appeared as if they were sculpted for this very purpose. It wasn't a long hall, as what appeared to be an elevator sat on the end of it. But it had a very strange look to it. The doors were almost shaped like dog jaws, only turned at a 90 degree angle, from top to bottom. But to ensure that its occupants didn't get stuck on the door, there was a small platform inside to stand on. But all of it looked like rock. Seeing as there was nothing else to do, they all stepped inside. The doors closed and they were sent below.

Just as it went down, someone nearby came into the room and pulled out a knife, waiting for the elevator's return.

If your name wasn't Valia Erocus Ryan, you'd be confused out of your mind. The elevator had an ancient appearance all over it, but with no signs of what you'd see in an art history class. It didn't look like it was sculpted by Native Americans, the Romans, French, Japanese, whatever. It just looked like someone molded a rock, but at first glance it didn't look like it had any real function. Now it was taking you several feet below the earth. You didn't know what was there, or why you were going down there in the first place. If that wasn't creepy enough, the flashlights Kim and Wade had went out. The only source of light was something illuminating from Val's coat. Shortly after, they started seeing lights pass them from the outside. The walls actually had several crevices in it, all sculpted in shapes that were anything but geometrical.

After nearly five minutes, the elevator started to slow down, then it abruptly stopped, softly somehow. Val already made his way to the doors before they opened, landing on the floor as they did open and made his way to the end of the cavern.

At the end of it stood a huge door, lit by a glowing blue light. The two remaining members of Team Possible realized everything else, even them, was blue, too. The light was coming from somewhere, but it was impossible to determine where. Much like the elevator, the door was also sculpted with several mysterious non-geometrical shapes. It was ancient all right, but for some reason, Wade and Kim were too confused to ask questions; they didn't know what to ask first.

Before Val could make it to the door, they all heard what almost sounded like music coming from him. He wasn't humming a tune; something from inside his coat was making it. But it wasn't 'music' music. There was no melody, not even ambience. It made two notes that sounded like a bass guitar, followed by something electronic, almost like two quiet alarms. It stayed on beat the whole time, but since that's all what came out of it, it was rather repetitive. Sure enough, whatever what was inside his jacket was pulsating to the 'beat'. Four notes repeating.

Not saying a word, Val pulled out what it was, but it was covered in all kinds of protective gear. Bullet-proof leather, cloth, bubble wrap, the works. After he took all of that off, it was clear what it was: one of the artifacts he had stolen months ago. On the door appeared to be four indents, one shaped just like the object he held in his hand, not only moving to the beat but lighting up to each note. He simply placed that in, but there were three others. Not one to be concerned, Val pulled out three more stolen artifacts, each wrapped securely. He put them in each of their respective keyholes after unwrapping them. The door then made what sounded like an unlocking noise, but that was it. It didn't open.

He only groaned, breaking the silence. Kim and Wade tried to analyze what was going on.

"I can't figure it out…" Val spoke quietly. "Four keys and without a way to open the door…"

Was this what the artifacts were for? Once Val got away with the last one, and seeing that nothing happened in the days to come other than Ron's departure, Kim didn't concern herself with them anymore. Her only guess was that whatever Val had planned for them, he failed. It wasn't the first time ancient artifacts were rendered useless, based on experiences with Monkey Fist in the past, long before all of this happened. Still, what was so important about this door?

But there was one other question lingering in Kim's mind, "Wait, wait, wait. You mean you've had that in your jacket the whole time?" Images of the fight ran through her head over and over. Val wasn't as fast as before, and she remembered some of the more brutal blows that had him landing on his face or rolling over the floor. "How could something so delicate survive that fight earlier?"

Val smirked. "I protect any and everything that gets held in here. With how much equipment I carry in this coat, it would put local armories to shame." Only if there were local armories, at least in this country. "It protects me, I protect them. I would have it no other way, especially in this case where the keys need to stay intact."

"So you still have them on you…"

"They still have some use…" he calmly replied.

"So, whatever's behind this door is what's going to help us find Ron?" Kim guessed.

"That, and if my research is correct, it should take us straight to him as well. Perhaps this is your lucky day after all, Kimberly Ann…" he answered. "But that's only if we can find a way to open this."

So that's what Wade was needed for. Two _intelligent_ minds are better than one. He was already busy analyzing the door. The ancient patterns… it didn't hit Wade until now but something was familiar about it. Yes, it was huge, yes there was an ominous light that made everything blue, yes there were odd ancient carvings all over it, but there didn't appear to be a way to open it.

Still tired from the previous night, Wade decided to lean against the wall near him. And he fell right into it, much like how Val did above, except this was purely accidental. Their attention caught by the suspicious thud, Kim and Val went to see where Wade had gone.

"I found something!" the rock in front of them yelled, or that's what it appeared to be. Inside, however, was anything but a switch or door handle. It was another ancient device, this time with an orange circular hologram that was spinning. Like everything else, it had a peculiar look to it. Touching it did nothing, and there were no switches. Wade read something about this some time back, when he and Nev had met. Nev could tell you anything about studies of ancient technology, which played a role in the discoveries of cybertronic and biomechanical technology. Unfortunately, since he wasn't around, perhaps hiding from the Black Suits, Wade didn't have much to go by. Even if Nev were here, there would be too many books to carry to find the answers needed.

Out of nowhere, he got the strangest idea. He pulled out some kind of scanning device from his backpack, one that allowed for an optic visual. It allowed you to scan something and it would tell you what it was in huge detail. You could scan computer equipment and it would tell you the specs. You could scan an animal and learn of its species, history and relatives. Plants would do the same. With people, you could ID them and learn of their criminal history, what their job was and their marital status.

That said, this was something he started on way back in the days of Kim's sophomore year. Kim knew about it and wanted to use it to see if she could find a Yellow Trout, but it wasn't finished. That, and Wade was afraid she'd go overboard with it with boys. Of course, Ron also wanted to use it, but he wanted to use it on girls regardless of the anemology fad. You could find out just about everything about other people with it. You could tell if your girl or boyfriend was cheating on you, you could see what your parents were hiding, if your teacher was biased, if your crush had a second life, everything. So much information in the palm of your hands, deadly in the wrong ones. Wade could only program so much information into it. Ancient Technology wasn't among them.

But taking a wild shot at it, he scanned the circular hologram, and the place started to shake.

The door was opening.

Wade ran through back to the other side of the rock, only to freeze in place like Kim and Val.

"Magnificent…" an astounded Val whispered to himself.

The place hit Wade without a thought entering his head. "It can't be… the Genesis Chamber? It exists?"

The Genesis Chamber, an ancient room that was believed to be nothing more than a myth, much like ancient technology and the ancient civilization where half-man half-machines ruled the world. Kim remembered that Val mentioned it when she was hanging by wires on the Tower of Bay City, but she didn't pay much attention to it, seeing as it wasn't too relevant to the mission. Fortunately, she even remembered things she didn't pay attention to.

So it was actually all real?

The chamber was huge, and it was clear that this is where the light was coming from, somehow shining through the door. The place was an artistic marvel. The floor and ceiling had the same patterns as everything else, but in much greater detail with several blue lights were shining through its many crevices, animating the room. There were plenty of wires coming out of everywhere, but the middle of the room was the marvel itself.

A glowing blue orb, just like the core at the plant. Val had pulled out the keys on the door, preventing it from shutting and trapping them in. That one relic was still beating music.

Anticipating all questions, he laid everything out. "Yes, this is the legendary Genesis Chamber, proof of the origins of the Deus Ex Machina project that took place several years ago." In case you missed the memo, that was the project to make war machines that could replace human soldiers, and it ranged from cybertronic weapons, syntho drones, to bio-mechs. "What you see before you is similar to the core back at the plant, but the appearance is its only similarity. This is called The Excerpt, an unexplainable energy orb that contains the history of the world, from the first day to the last. Every answer of the world, gathered into one unstable orb… The only source of ancient technology that still exists in its pure form…"

"How does this work? I hope it doesn't involve looking into the future, because I so refuse to do that." A few too many _Back to the Future_ movies thanks to Ron in the early days.

Val rolled his eyes. "You couldn't even if you tried, for the future is undecided. But this how we can track Ronald. For this to work, one must put their hands inside, say the command in its original language, and concentrate all of your thoughts on the answers you seek."

"Great, I don't know it," Kim bitterly replied, referring to the command.

"That's why I'm here, so we both must put our hands in at once. I'll say the command while you focus all thoughts to him, good and bad, old and new. It's similar to meditation, but if you're not careful it _will_ backfire. It can work with no more than two people."

"How the heck do you know all of this?" Kim asked, probably speaking for everyone else on the planet.

"Extensive research through confidential information," Val calmly answered. "And banned literature. Considered to be hogwash to be considered non-fictional, too realistic to be considered fantasy."

"So why else did you come here?" Wade asked. "So much information…"

"It could be deadly in the wrong mind, and more than anything too much knowledge causes many people to go insane, sometimes turning them into murderers," Val interrupted, knowing full well that his behavior was a result of his own knowledge of everything. "I needed to see if ancient technology still existed in the world. I only require one question to be answered, and thanks to you I can get it. The reason I sought after this place was to crack the origins of the human existence for some time. All I needed was to see with my own eyes that this place truly existed. Now I know, and that's all that matters to me."

Suddenly, the elevator closed and went back up. Val smirked. "No matter." He nodded his head to the side, focusing on two chairs that sat at the very end of the chamber.

"Teleportation chairs. The Excerpt will give us information, and you use the chairs to travel to that destination as long as it's in your head. Convenient, no?"

None of this made sense. But Kim was too eager to get this over with, and Wade still couldn't believe he was actually standing in this place. It was like being in another world in another time.

Finally, the discomfited partners positioned themselves on opposite ends of the orb.

"I'm ready…" Kim boldly said with determination. "But are you sure this will work?"

Careful of what you ask.

"If what my hours of research said was true. Honestly, I have not an idea in hell of what I'm about to do. Embrace yourself."

With those words, Val shoved both of his hands into the glowing blue orb. Beyond her control, Kim's hands flew in at the same time, as if they were being controlled by the mystical orb.

Fade to black.

A nightmarish voice echoed throughout everything. _"Nasari… let... lofita… elpis nendaori, rucian daras. Veldis el saori ot vels det selmen vatelm! Fadeli matari lis! Agan nolfair britan! **Velgis!** **ET! ZIRAI!**"  
_

Suddenly, everything went intense with all colors of the world in her vision. She couldn't feel a thing. Not warmth, not cold. None of her senses are active. She knew the drill: Focus on Ron. Every thought and memory.

Never one to drain her mind and think only of the one she loves, Kim gave it everything she got. Thoughts of her past filled her mind. The kindergarten picture, the day they met, the opening of Bueno Nacho, the cheerleading tryouts, flamingoat, the formation of Team Possible, endless victories with Ron at her side, sometimes involving him saving her. Cheerleading, tutoring, Ron trying to find himself by becoming a bad boy, a genius, and even a boy in a ferret outfit. Being put under mind control with Shego. The fights the two had, when they became jealous. When Ron thought Monique might replace him, when Kim thought Felix would replace her. Meeting Yori for the first time. Christmas and fearing Ron was gone. The moodulator, the pickle suit, wearing a dress she never thought she'd wear, talking about being a date at his family reunion. The prom kiss. Ron taking her home after losing against a masked opponent. Ron staying at her bedside that morning. Numerous days of Bueno Nacho and movies. A mind-controlled Ron threatening to kill himself and Kim. Being put under mind control and beating Ron to a pulp. Waking up from a two-week slumber and finding Ron there to save her in a nifty new battle suit. A long fight to the death with Valia Ryan, and waking up in a hospital bed next to her hero. Fighting a cult known as the Ice Shadows. Romantic nights, non-romantic nights. Interrupted dates. The fight at Fred Elurt's place in Thailand. Hunting down Ron after an assassination attempt on him. Fighting a mind-controlled Yori with him and watching as he took her on alone. Finding him later and finding a blonde sniper kissing him on the cheek. Being shot down in a plane over icy Tibet and being separated from him. Fighting a mech with him, witnessing as he was brutally injured after a fake nuke was released. Fighting a body-controlled Ron on the plane back and finding out that he has nanomachines that will shortly kill him. Having him yell at you for doing too much PDA without having a clue of what had just happened, more concerned over Yori than you. Long conversations about the relationship. Going to the top of the Tower floor to floor with him. Ron being knocked out by a missile explosion, piloted by Valia Ryan. Being held captive after miraculously surviving a suicide dive with missiles intact on a flammable substance-filled rooftop. Ron being thrown out a window by Val and with no weapons to save him. Finally, going home after beating Ryan and getting an apartment. Romantic dates, and then even the sudden change when Ron Stoppable went to a carefree romantic to a heartless colleague. The love-hate relationship they had during Val's fight for the relics.

* * *

Suddenly, Kim found herself flying above hundreds of people, and shortly afterwards, flying though them like a lost spirit. She wasn't sure where she was, but it definitely wasn't this century. It was a poor village much like the ones you see in Chinese Martial Arts flicks, filled with hundreds of poor people. But then her focus was directed to two people walking together, both wearing cloaks to hide the details of their faces. She couldn't make them out, but it was definitely not Ron's profile, and his hair color was impossible to determine. 

"_What the? Uh… Kim? Kim!"_

Did she somehow lose focus on Ron and have thoughts about this whole conspiracy? Did she accidentally have one thought of the person behind this? Maybe this was the person.

"_Hurry up!"_

She didn't linger on that thought for long, as something came out of his pocket.

"Help!" it cried.

It was a naked mole rat. Only one had that look and that voice.

Rufus.

"_Kim!"_

The other person turned her head and gave the small creature a sinister glare. "Damn it, I told you to stay in there, you damn rodent!" Lifting her cloak, the girl revealed herself; young and beautiful, with an X-shaped scar between her purple eyes, with pigtails of the same color.

* * *

All of a sudden, Kim found herself flying backward, but picked herself up before hitting the wall. Val on the other hand crashed straight into the wall on his end, unable to think. It wasn't Kim that lost her concentration, it was him. If she could see the delirious look in his eyes, she would have realized that he was able to see every one of her thoughts, from Ron to the girl. He pulled back once he saw the details of her face. 

"Wha… what the hell…?" Just when Valia Ryan looks shocked and disturbed, nobody notices. The barrier that he always had, preventing him from showing fear, anxiety and shock, had finally been broken. Not for long, as usual, and no one would notice a minute later.

"Kim! Watch out!" Wade yelled.

But before she could get up, she found a knife to her throat.

"Hey baby."

The dead live.

"Sean!"


	10. 9: The Enemy of My Enemy

**Chapter 9: The Enemy of My Enemy Is Still My Enemy**

**

* * *

**

Wade tried to make sense of what was going on.

Other than being in some ancient ruin that wasn't supposed to exist, Val had just yelled out some kind of foreign command. On his word, Kim's hands were sucked into the glowing orb, and both of their eyes went bloodshot instantly. They remained perfectly still, with no sign of pulses in their arms, no blinking, no breathing; they were frozen solid. Their skin had gone morbidly pale at first, but it was a temporary effect.

By making physical contact with a glowing fiery blue orb, how could one find any answer in the world they seek? There were so many questions running through Wade's mind. He figured if he had done more research on the Genesis Chamber, he'd find out everything Val knew about it, unless he deleted those government records, too. And more than likely he did.

Ancient technology, said to be the most powerful of all technologies, but most believe it didn't exist. Just some myth. But even if it did exist, how did it work? And that was probably the only question that the orb couldn't reveal. Even looking at the glowing crevices in the floor, Wade could see wires and what appeared to be clockwork inside. And yet it was this that could light up and entire room and keep a fiery sphere of knowledge intact for thousands of years. It was probable that no living being on the planet was capable of dissecting it and learning of its secrets. Even with the knowledge that perhaps learning the secrets of the ancient arts would be no different than learning how to destroy everything in existence, including existence itself, Wade was tempted. He was just too curious on how this worked, and maybe if it could be used for the better of mankind. Instead small fragments were being discovered more often and used to create weapons.

From watching two lifeless people, it wasn't hard to figure out what the orb was. Ancient technology was unexplainable, but with technology also came information. And yet, ancient records and information existed like a rift in the space-time continuum, another dimension even. It never came in the form of images and words, but instead, Kim and Val had become one with this power and it not only took over all of their senses, but their body functions completely.

His thoughts were interrupted when he noticed a peculiar noise coming from behind him. The elevator was on its way back down, and it only comes down when it's occupied. Kim and Val were still possessed by the blue spherical energy, and the elevator was getting closer and closer. He kept turning his focus from one to the other. Kim and Val, the elevator, Kim and Val, the elevator.

It wasn't long before it finally came down and opened. Its occupant was calm as ever, armed not only with a custom-made knife filled with curves, but also with a jacket covered with grenades, at least forty of them total. He made his way towards the Genesis Chamber, not struck by its beauty, only to find Wade standing there helpless in the middle of the room.

"What the? Uh… Kim? Kim!"

She couldn't hear him, and the intruder slowly made his way to Kim. He was mesmerized by her beauty, taking his time in walking up to her before putting her in his grip.

"Hurry up!" Wade frantically cried. He was scared. This wasn't like the time where he left his room to confront Team Impossible, which to him was a personal fight because they spiked him. He was just bent on getting revenge, unafraid of the dangers that lay ahead. Of course, back then he was prepared, too. But this was different. The knife handler wasn't an expected enemy, and Wade had not a clue of how to handle the situation. His mind just stopped working.

Done gazing at the girl he wished was his, he was ready to put the knife against her throat. She couldn't see or hear him, and he knew it.

"Kim!" Wade cried again, hoping to snap her out of it. However, Val failed to explain that if she did attempt to pull her hands away during the process, her mind would have been trapped in the ancient information realm forever, leaving her brain dead in this world.

However, if either of them suddenly lost their concentration, they would have been sent flying back, and that's exactly what had happened. But it wasn't Kim who lost her concentration. She got the biggest clue in the six months that Ron was perhaps still alive; his pet Rufus, in what appeared to be a rural Chinese village. However, because Val had his hands in the orb, he was able to see every one of Kim's thoughts and memories as she concentrated. He too saw the village and Rufus, but the person near him was a beautiful yet deadly girl with purple pigtails and eyes.

Something about her had his mind going elsewhere, ending the memory transfer. Kim, satisfied, managed to prevent herself from striking the wall. Val on the other hand let himself fly right into it, much more concerned with the woman he had seen. He wasn't concerned with the blunt of the blow, because his coat prevented him from getting even the slightest scratch.

"Wha… what the hell…?" he asked with his body turned upside down, with shock in his eyes.

Wade didn't hear him, as his focus was to Kim, who was unaware of the danger she was in. The intruder was out of her scope of vision, and just as a relived smile made its way to her face, those lips were about to be sliced off. "Kim! Watch out!" he yelled.

But she couldn't react in time, finding a knife to her throat instead.

"Hey baby…"

"Sean!" Kim cried with sudden anger in her voice, surprised for only a split second. "How did you find us?"

Sean Hanteren smiled at her. "Anonymous tip. I usually don't listen to them, but saying that three people were in disguise… sounded too easy. I see you're not in one anymore. Looking good as ever, my precious."

"Obsessed as ever, elch." Kim merely replied, hardly afraid of him. "So what do you want this time?"

"Oh, I just wanted to see if you changed your mind about us."

Almost as if Sean was harmless and unarmed, Kim slapped him straight across the face, and with enough force to send that pretty boy face of his straight into the floor. Not allowing Sean to recover, she ran towards him and kicked him straight in the gut as hard as she could. Sean let out a painful yell, almost as if Kim kicked him further south, and his body was sent upward, enough for Kim to effortlessly grab his neck. She wouldn't recommend that any girl do this, but you probably would anyway if some guy who pretended to be concerned for you slammed your face into a glass window and attempted to kill you. And besides, when you want answers out of a person, sometimes it's best to put them in a lot of pain and immobilize them.

"Uh, no." Kim simply answered. "If that's not clear enough for you, I don't know what is. So…" She shook him repeatedly to snap him out of it. "What on earth is going on?"

Sean only laughed as he was held in the air. "What? Are you expecting me to tell you everything? Where's the fun in that?"

"You said you were an assassin from Hard Police, but they don't hire assassins and they sure as heck didn't want my head."

Sean appeared impressed. "Well, looks like someone did their research, something I had to do for you in classes."

"Shut up. I want some answers and you're not leaving here until I get them."

Again, he laughed. "And what kind of position are you in to tell me what to do? With one pull…" he pointed out to Kim that he had his hand on some kind of pin, "… every single one of these will blow us further down to hell. Now let me go unless you want them to find your corpse with pieces of your head scattered everywhere."

Kim slammed his head into the floor. _Then_ she let him go.

Sean quickly picked himself up. "Feisty as always, my type of woman."

Kim rolled her eyes. "You didn't just come down here to flirt… tell me why you're really here."

And he was glad to answer, finally. "I suppose I was a bit rough the first time, and I thought that maybe making a deal with you would make up for it."

"Oh, I can't wait to hear this…" Kim muttered sarcastically.

"I'll tell you everything you want to know if you become my girlfriend."

Had Kim been paying attention behind her, she would have seen that The Excerpt had shrunk to the size of a marble, and the machinery that was keeping it afloat went into the ceiling and the floor. It was gone, and the room was all open space now.

"And if I refuse?"

Sean did a tugging motion at the master grenade pin. "Boom."

Kim sighed. "Okay, I'm your girlfriend now. Tell me everything." Of course, there was a plan behind this. Now that she was officially dating him, he would tell her everything, then she'd dump him after the answers.

"Not so fast…" he skeptically smirked. "I'll tell you everything after a romantic dinner, a movie, and then I'm thinking of reserving a lovely room at one of the finest hotels fo-"

He soon found the back of his head smashed through the wall, the front of it having a foot that was digging into his cheek.

An annoyed Kim knew where this was going anyway. "On second thought, we need to talk. We're through. Okay, thanks, bye forever." That didn't even last ten seconds.

But Sean wasn't unconscious, grabbing her foot, twisting it, and threw her aside. "I'm not an idiot, Kim!"

She scoffed as she got onto her knees. "At least it wasn't official, seeing that I never broke up with Ron in the first place."

Wade almost laughed at what Kim did next. The second she got onto her feet, she stuck her tongue out at him. Cute, but with someone like Sean, it could have been the opening he had been dying for, and as predictable as he was, he took it. Sean tried his best to grab Kim and do what he wanted with her tongue, but she was too quick to catch it and socked him right across the head. He wasn't even close.

"I'm no idiot, either," she growled, "Unless you want me to make that face of yours red, white and blue, you're going to tell me everything I want." Seeing that Sean didn't pull the pins, she figured they were duds.

"Stupid woman…" he angrily muttered as he stood up, "The only way I'm telling you anything is over my dead body, and you don't have what it takes to even send me to the hospital. Come on, Kim, do you really think all I did was help you in those classes? I studied you as well, who you were as a person, what you believed in and every single one of your weaknesses. You're not a killer, and you don't like to hurt people… that's what you tell yourself, anyway. You have what it takes, Kim, but you're too afraid to do it. You can't do it, Kim. You just can't. So just take the easy way out and come with me."

"No."

"Too bad. I would have shown you what real love is."

"I already know what true love is, and getting after some tail isn't it."

"But you know that's what you want in the end. Come on, I know you're a sucker for pretty faces, Kim. Just one date?"

She just scoffed at him. "Over my dead body."

"That can be arranged!"

But before he could pull out two knives, he was choking. Kim and Wade couldn't see what it was until they heard footsteps from aside, and the blue lights of the room highlighting what appeared to be a whip wrapped around Sean's throat. It wasn't glowing, but in the time it took for Val to approach him, Sean's face was already blue.

"I've heard enough!" Val angrily snarled.

"Le… L… Legion…" Sean tried to speak, but wound up gargling saliva and coughing horribly. "Y…You…"

"Don't bother; you won't be breathing for much longer."

"W...Why?" Sean somehow couldn't comprehend the sight of the feared Legion standing next to the legendary Kim Possible.

"That is none of your concern… You… How the hell can you sleep at night, knowing who you are and what you stand for?"

Sean managed to speak. "Ho… how are you… any bet… better?"

"My reasons for everything I do are much deeper than one would think, and not a single one of them involve any of my own personal desires of pleasures. I don't stalk helpless girls and try to take advantage of their state of mind in hopes to sleep with them. You think you're all that, getting life rushes at the expense of others, and what? Slapping around women makes you feel better about yourself? You're pathetic… not worthy of the air you breathe… you have no greater purpose in this world…"

Kim was starting to grow afraid. The last time Val had talked like this was to an aging lunatic who had all eleven of his daughters killed, only because they couldn't carry on his legacy. And what became of him? He got sliced in half by a sword and was sent into a flaming helicopter, which would soon be sent to a fiery doom. Seeing that Val didn't equip his sword, it was probable he was going to choke Sean to death.

"Val! Don't you _dare_ choke him to death!" As long as she was around, no one was going to die on her watch, whether or not they deserved it.

He rolled his eyes at her. "Don't jump to conclusions."

On his mark, he released Sean from the whip's grasp, and he collapsed onto the floor in desperate efforts of breathing. It wasn't long before he regained himself and smiled.

"Legion the merciful? Hah! You call me weak and pathetic and you're no better, suckered by the words of a woman! I'll kill you and Kim Possible at the same time, even if it means being dragged to hell by both of you!" Sean then grabbed the pin to his jacket. "You should have killed me when you had the chance, Legion!"

Val smiled. "Consider your wish granted!"

It all happened too quickly. Just as the nerves of Sean's fingers started to pull, Val once again wrapped his whip around his neck and pulled Sean toward him. After a slight pause, he swung Sean's body like a pendulum around the room, any more force and he could have yanked his head right off. Finally, a slight tug released Sean and sent him flying right back into the elevator. Sensing weight, the elevator jaws closed. Before it began to ascend, Sean got up and tried to escape, but he was trapped, able to peek through the elevator's many carved crevices. His skin turned pale when he saw what Legion had in his hand.

The pin to the jacket.

"Bon voyage…" Val waved.

Sean desperately and frantically tried to do whatever he could to stop the imminent explosion. A high-pitched yell could be heard as the elevator took its trip back up.

Moments later, the entire room shook. Sighing, Val slowly put the whip back into his jacket, turning around. He found Kim right in front of him with a bug-eyed glare.

"What?" he asked innocently.

"WHAT?" an alarmed Kim asked. "You just killed him!"

"Pfft. It was either him or us, there was no negotiating with him… And what makes you so sure?"

"Uh, he had a jacket filled with grenades? There must've been at least thirty!"

Val turned around to where the elevator once was. Normally the elevator would have come crashing down, but since it didn't, it was clear that it was indestructible. "He's not as stupid as he makes himself out to be. He knew they were going to be used against him. The grenades weren't tightly strapped around his body, and that vest of his was made out of Bradtosium Alloy, the same cybertronic liquid metal that's used in your battle suit. He could have easily used it as a shield, provided he threw the grenades aside."

"It's true…" a third voice revealed.

Kim had completely forgotten Wade was in the room. "How could you tell?" she asked with a calmer tone.

Val interrupted before Wade could answer. "It's not important, but I'm more than certain he survived, which means that we'll be seeing him again. Until then…" He chose to change the subject. "What did you see?"

Kim looked back to the orb, seeing that it was gone. "Where did it go?"

Val popped his neck repeatedly as he observed, not noticing it himself. "Strange. It must have a one-time use limit before appearing in another region of the world." He sighed when he turned to Kim and Wade, confused. "The Genesis Chamber never stays in one place."

"Let me guess," Wade intervened. "Those relics you took helped you locate this place. But since The Excerpt is gone, you lost what you wanted out of it."

Val smiled. "No. As a matter of fact, it answered a critical question I never thought of asking. Besides, I can always find the Genesis chamber as long as I have the artifacts intact."

* * *

Back up, an unscathed elevator opened, only for a mangled smoking body to be thrown out of it.

"Da… Damn him!"

Sean was slightly bleeding from his head, but otherwise Val was right: the vest he wore protected him from the grenade blast. That is, after he took a fetal position and used it to cover him. He walked outside through the hidden doorway, only to find someone with sparkling eyes standing in front of him.

"Well, hellooooo beau-"

"Get out of my way!"

The person who followed him threw him aside and walked through the hidden passage. After getting on the elevator, it plummeted itself deeper into the earth.

* * *

"Wait…" Kim was concerned. "If this never stays in one place, shouldn't this place disappear soon?"

"When no one is near here, it will disappear into another unpopulated region of the earth. That's what my research tells me, anyway. In th-" Val put his hand up, instructing the other two to be quiet. They all heard the elevator coming down again. "Hanteren… he must have called backup. We don't have much time. Kim, do you remember the place you saw in the vision?"

"Of course," she calmly replied. "Some old Chinese village."

"Keep that image in your head and head for the teleportation chairs in the back. As long as you keep it in your head, they should take you to wherever you picture."

"What about Wade?" Kim asked. Since he didn't see the vision, how was he to go? He couldn't be left here all alone.

"You'll have to share a chair since he didn't share the vision you had. It's only activated by images seen in The Excerpt. He'll be fine."

"And you'll take the other one."

"Don't wait up. It'll be awhile."

"Wait, you're staying?"

Val pulled out his whip again. "I need to make sure they don't destroy this place. It can only move around the planet if everything stays intact."

Kim and Wade did as told. The chairs were incredibly huge, allowing both to share a seat easily, even with their bags. Wade tried not to think and allowed Kim to do it, concentrating on the image she saw, playing it back in her mind like a video. Suddenly, light started to swirl around it. The ceiling also opened up, revealing at least ten doors, each closer to the surface by several feet. They all opened up as well, and the chair suddenly shot upward at an intense velocity. Just as Kim and Wade disappeared, the doors closed. It wasn't coming back.

Val on the other hand readied himself, getting a firm grip on his whip as he turned his eyes toward the approaching elevator. Now that The Excerpt was gone, the room was much darker, providing no light to where the intruder would come in. The hum of the elevator just kept getting louder and louder until it finally made its stop, and the sound of the doors opening could be heard.

In the darkness of it all, he could only make out two green lights. They only got closer with each step, unstable in their movements, like fire. Green fire. Recognizing this, he loosened his grip on the whip.

"Oh, it's just you…"

It all became clear when the figure entered the room.

Shego.

But in less than a day she already had a different appearance, now that she was free from Drakken. Other than the scar on her left cheek, she also had a minor outfit change. She still supported the green and black jumpsuit, but it looked anything but the same, showing more skin. Like Kim, she showed a bit of belly, fit as ever. The sleeves of her outfit were also completely removed, though she still wore gloves. The suit itself has a shinier appearance, almost leather-like, but there was much more black than green, and it lacked that neon-green color that people recognized her for.

The queen of the hurt had a new look, and all because of her new freedom from her former boss. She felt like a new person, but she really wasn't. She was still as nasty as ever.

"It looks like you're late to the party…" Val started out as he put the whip away. "You just missed Kim."

The uninvited visitor smiled as she recognized the one who stood before her. One would believe based on what Val had said earlier, that these two had met.

Not quite.

"Kim?" the green one chuckled, "Whoever said I came here for Kim? Oh, I didn't come here for Kimmie, no…"

Val's glare was just as solid as he was.

"I came here for you…" she finished, pointing at him with a suspicious smile. The tip of her finger lit up in a calm flame, and she blew it out with a peculiar curve in her lips.

Shego. She knew just as much about Valia Ryan as everyone else on the planet, which was next to nothing. There were the things he did, from attacking Kim and Ron for no reason out of his own heartbroken madness, to stealing the artifacts and outmaneuvering miss teen hero every time. At the time Kim decided to hunt Ryan down, she put a lot of thoughts onto her webpage concerning him. She couldn't figure out his way of thinking, and neither could anyone else who visited. He was an angel with devil's wings.

And every one of her enemies sought him out. Kim Possible was a thorn in every bad guy's side, always able to save the world and with a win record that matched her grades. But then came along Legion, the one who was many, the one who could do everything. Only five days older than Kim and on a completely different level, and yet, he wasn't one of Kim's allies. A perfect colleague, they all thought. Sure, Kim defeated him twice in battle, but considering her win/ loss ratio against him, it meant nothing.

Every one of Kim's foes wanted him. Duff Killigan, Dementor, DNAmy (after a rumor he encountered Monkey Fist), the Señors, Gemini, Gill, even one-timers who planned a great comeback such as Adrena Lynn, Jackie the Jackal, Falsetto Jones, and even Frugal Lucre. But every single one of them was blown off, for Val had no interest in revenge against Kim Possible or taking over the world. After making them feel like complete fools (with the exception of the Señors; Val did enjoy Senior Señor Senior's presence), most of them didn't take the rejection well. Often, they attacked him only to be beaten down.

Monkey Fist had not been seen since DNAmy kidnapped Sensei nearly two years ago, but other than him, there was only one of Kim's foes who didn't send out for Ryan: Dr. Drakken. He was too obsessed with his master plan. In the process of it, he had to put heavy restrictions on Shego to make sure she wouldn't interfere. For nearly two years, she couldn't step anywhere near Legion, and she couldn't destroy Possible. And Drakken never explained in detail why he did this. Easy to say, Shego felt like a caged animal, just dying to be let loose. Then came the event that Ron Stoppable was officially considered missing, but before she could even tell Drew she could get involved, he told her it was taken care of.

And in this time, Shego couldn't help but think about the orders Drakken placed against her. She wanted to kill Kim for the scar the left on her cheek. But like everyone else, she was curious who this newcomer was, this Valia Ryan. She had heard of him right after getting out of prison, but she couldn't believe this person actually owned Kim in their first encounter. And here Drakken was trying to get Kim to recognize his name the first time they met. Beginner's luck, perhaps? Not quite. He was always giving Kim a hard time.

But since Drakken didn't let her do anything, she spent hours of research trying to find out everything she could about Kim's mysterious dark nemesis. Even though she found out so much, it was no more than what Kim knew. But there was something about him. That dark persona, those eerie blue eyes, his fashion, that scar on his face, that messy and spiky hair. It wasn't just his appearance, either. The way he talked, the way he walked, how he was able to easily use any weapon given to him, his superhuman acrobatics, just the way he carried himself, and the fact that he just wouldn't die. Calm and fearless, yet filled with anger and hate. That dark charisma of his…

Was it possible that Shego was actually infatuated with Valia? Hard to say, but she was definitely intrigued by him and wanted something out of him. And Shego _always_ got what she wanted.

Val scoffed at her gesture. "What a waste…" And just like that, he turned his back to her and started walking toward the last teleporting chair.

Of course, everyone who had heard of Shego knew not to turn their back on her. Ever. It was the last thing she expected.

"What did you just say?"

He didn't listen.

"Hey! HEY! I'm talking to you!"

Val only continued to walk, ignoring the woman behind him. Finally, he stopped when a single thread of his hair was scorched by an oncoming green fireball. Shego didn't hit him, but it was clearly a warning shot. He showed no pain, probably not experiencing any, and slowly turned around without a muscle moving on his face.

"That's right, you'd better turn around."

He didn't react at all, staring at the woman in front of him. Not a word came out of his mouth, just a creepy glare.

Shego wasn't afraid. She smiled at him. "So you're Valia Ryan…" she paused to observe him, "You're much shorter and skinnier than I thought you'd be."

Val finally snapped out of his stance and stood upward. "Shego, I presume. I could have sworn the reports said you were a complete knockout, but then again that was well over a year ago. I see you haven't aged well."

Shego only growled, holding her rage in. It didn't stop her fists from going berserk for a split second, though. "Yeesh, I was only joking! You can take a joke, can't you?"

His eyes said it all. He didn't have the patience for this. Shego didn't come here to joke around. If she wasn't attacking him, she had something else planned.

"What did you come here for?" he quietly asked with a tone that was anything but friendly.

"I came here to get a grip on what was _really_ going on. I mean, teaming up with Possible to help her find Stoppable? Come on, there has got to be more to it than just helping out and doing something nice for her."

Everyone knew it, and Shego knew it. He was described as deadly, merciless, and on the brink of surpassing human boundaries. Yet, deep inside his black heart was blinding light. Everyone knew that he deeply wished to find his own true love, perhaps convinced it existed thanks to his experiences with Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. He didn't intend to keep it as a secret at all. Unfortunately for him, all it did was attract girls who were looking for anything but, and Shego was amongst them.

"And what if it is just that?" he asked. "Does it strike you odd that I found pity in a girl who lost everything after losing her love?"

Shego almost laughed at his choice of words, then put on a serious face all of a sudden. "No, but you've used the buffoon against her until he finally left. There's a lot more to this than that."

"Perhaps there is," he truthfully admitted. "Maybe it started off as repaying a favor," Kim saving his life, "and maybe it didn't. It doesn't matter. The circumstances have changed and this is more personal than I originally thought."

"I knew it!" Shego proclaimed excitedly. "I _knew_ you weren't on her side!"

At first, she thought Val was serious in helping Kim find Ron, and she was hell bent on stopping him. But on the ride over, she realized it didn't make sense. He wouldn't just help her out all of a sudden. Not only because he used Ron to throw Kim off several times before, but also because she tried to hunt him down shortly after the Senator poisoning. And it wasn't like he made an attempt to walk down from a fight, proven earlier by the plant fight, not to mention punishing Kim for her attempts to provoke him.

But the real question was: Did Val have any ill intention for Kim?

Val only scoffed at Shego's words. "You keep telling yourself that. There's no such thing as 'sides' in what I do… I only do what needs to be done, whether people like it or not. No… you didn't come here just for answers…"

"Look, I didn't come here to fight…" That sure wasn't going to ease his suspicions. "I don't fight Kim's enemies unless they're in my way. But you're not really going to let her live happily ever after, are you? I wanted to know if you were interested in cutting in on a deal…" Why did she speak with such a sensuous tone? Easy, because everyone fell sucker for it, especially teenage boys who liked pretty women.

"Entice me…" Val challenged.

"Think about it, the two of us working together! We can get rid of Possible once and for all and make the world our playground! We can do whatever we want, cause all the chaos we want, thrive off the innocent and leave nothing but blood and destruction in our path! We can have all the fun in the world, and no one can stop us or tell us what to do!"

Val almost laughed at her offer. "I have no interest in something so trivial as world domination. What, just because we're considered enemies, you and I are suddenly friends?"

"Oh, come on!" Shego protested. "I can't believe you. You have all the power in the world to do what you want, whenever you want! You could take over this world in a heartbeat!"

"Perhaps so, but I'm not interested," he boldly replied. "You're better off sticking with Lipsky."

"Are you kidding? Drew's a complete moron who held me back. Now that I finally freed myself from all of his restrictions, I can finally do everything I want. Now that Kim's in some love rut, still crying over her boy toy, now's the perfect time to get rid of her! But it just wouldn't be fun to do it alone. Once I heard of you, I knew that there was so much that we can do together. _Think about it, Val._"

"I'll have nothing to do with you, Go," he quickly decided.

She started laughing, lighting a flame in her hand. "Did you really think I'd let you say no? Do you even know who I am?"

"She Go, real name deleted from official records. Age 26, five foot, seven inches tall, supernatural abilities come from a rainbow comet that crashed into her tree house as a child-"

Val tilted his head aside as another fireball flew past his head.

"Okay, I get the point," an annoyed Shego claimed, "but that's not what I'm asking."

Unfazed, he told her what he knew. "Yes, I'm fully aware of who you are, once arguably considered Kim's deadliest foe and theorized by some as the one who could probably take over the world, if not for your sidekick status. I've heard. I have no interest in ruling the world or others. You say pleasure, fun, and excitement involve nothing but destruction and pain and suffering at the expense of others… Why the hell does everyone believe their definitions speak for everyone else? I have my own definitions of fun and pleasure and they certainly do not match yours. If you want to find someone who's interested in such things, find someone else!"

Shego crossed her arms. "You're no better than Possible when it comes to denying things. Come on, you absolutely _love_ the thrill of fighting. You've made everyone who's gone after you afraid to live. I know what's happened to people you've fought before. After they recover from the hospital they go straight to the crazy house. They feel all high horse and you make them feel like they're worthless pieces of crap. Not often? I don't think so. You do it to just about everyone, even Possible. And you want me to believe you don't get a kick out of exposing people's inner weaknesses and shoving it into their faces?"

"Not one bit. I just happen to know more than most people and tell them what they need to know to escape their own depression and decadence. They don't like what they hear and refuse to listen, so I have to prove a point, even if it means destroying who they are and what they stand for. Only in times of fear does one learn how to overcome it. I'm not proud of it, but these days it's a necessity."

Shego laughed. "Is that the best story you could come up with? I've seen videos of you just losing it during fights. That's not the smile and laughter of helping others; it's the bloodthirsty laughter of the destruction. Deny it all you want, Val. But I know deep inside… you're no less evil than I am."

He snorted loudly as he crossed his arms. "Evil? You're not evil. You're just another weak-minded woman who gets cheap thrills out of doing the wrong thing, and only because it's the wrong thing. You're no different than a thirteen-year-old who thinks only watching R-rated movies and games makes him mature, when he's anything but. You're bad and rotten, that's a given, but you definitely don't qualify as pure evil. You're just a woman who tries to act tough, but deep inside you're just as insecure and lost as Kim is, and probably more. And just like every other lost soul on the planet, you refuse to escape it even though you know that you're trapped. A pretty face doesn't mean a damn thing, Shego. I've seen evil several times in my life. Compared to child molesters I've neutered, rapists I've hurt in ways that render them useless to women, rich bastards who kill their daughters and throw the remains to the dogs, cult cannibals who feed on infants, you are nothing… and you never will be… ever."

One of her fists flared up. "Okay, that hurt."

"The truth usually does."

Shego brushed the thoughts away, smirking. "You know, I thought we could actually be an awesome team, but they're right, you really are a humorless stiff who takes everything way too seriously." That sure wasn't going to get on his good side, but it didn't matter. His mind couldn't be changed. He was just as cold and unfriendly as everyone said he was.

"I get that a lot," he replied in a rather irritated tone, "and only the ignorant say such. How else am I to act in a generation which doesn't take itself seriously? Go with the flow and drown myself in the pathetic excuse I call a society? If you're going to start telling me what to do with my life, save it. I have other places to be and broken hearts to help."

"So you're really going to help her find Stoppable…"

"I don't see why not."

Shego scoffed. "Whether or not you're on her side, I'm not going to let you help Kim anymore. She's not going anywhere _near_ Stoppable." Finally, both of her fists flared up. The stance she took was one her opponent was all too familiar with. Like him, she was a self-trained fighter, which meant two things; she was either inexperienced or extremely deadly.

She was ready to fight.

"Pah…" Val scoffed, turning his back to her and making his way to the chairs. "Don't waste my time…"

"_Excuse_ me?" a dumbfounded Shego asked.

Val didn't stop. "I've seen you in action. It's incredible that people actually perceive you to be a practitioner of martial arts. You don't have any real technique; all you do is wave your arms around like an excited child. Your flames do all the work for you." He then muttered to himself quietly, which Shego couldn't make out, but she definitely heard it.

"If you're going to say something, then say it to my face!" she yelled.

Finally, he did stop and face her again, ready to tell her something no one else on the planet ever dared to.

"You're not a worthy opponent!"

Seeing that Shego didn't react, he turned around and made his way to the chair, only to find her in front of him, and with the heat of a green flame on his neck. Getting on Shego's bad side was a death wish waiting to happen, but getting in Val's way wasn't any different.

"Listen, pretty boy. I cut you some slack by trying to act all nice and giving you the offer of a lifetime!"

She almost caught him off guard with two peculiar words. "Pretty boy? Hah. You amuse me. But tell me something I didn't figure out five minutes ago."

"Shut up. You don't want to come with me, fine. But you want to dive into the fire, then prepare to burn, baby!"

"You can _pretend_ to be nice, but I'm actually going to _be_ nice and kindly ask you to _get the **hell** out of my way…"_ he demanded.

"Make me."

Bad answer. In a snap, even with a flame on his neck, Val shoved her aside and knocked her face into the floor.

That was it. Shego could take the words, but when someone touched her, there was hell to pay. She got up almost instantly with flames soaring, but Val had already launched himself to the other end of the room. Just as he came within her visual range, she found the tip of a green glowing whip flying right at her, aimed toward her neck.

A loud crack could be heard upon impact, but it wasn't what anyone would have expected.

She easily caught the tip right in her hand, completely immune to its powers. She also had a firm grip on it, not allowing Val to retrieve it so easily, and took a second to observe it. Realizing what it was, she let out a sinister chuckle. "Maybe next time you should use a weapon that doesn't have _the exact same flare as my fists!"_

Shego couldn't have been any more right. The powers of the whip, created by astrologists centuries ago, were the exact same powers she could generate from her hands whenever she wanted. And that's exactly what she did. She transferred all kinds of plasma energy through the whip, with more than enough force to send Val flying back into the wall.

Now he knew what it was like to be on the receiving end, but not as bad as Kim earlier. Not only because the energy wasn't at full blast, but Val held the weapon with his left hand, so only his mechanical arm was impacted, though the power still sent him flying. Realizing what was going on, he only chuckled. "How amusing… I guess you're not as pathetic as you make yourself out to be…"

Shego only gathered the rest of the whip in her hand and tossed it aside. There was no use going after the weapon anyway, not when the green-skinned vixen that stood before you was totally immune to it. One could argue that Shego could use it to her advantage, but she rarely used any other weapon than her fists, unless they were explosives or giant lasers. She wanted to stain those fiery hands of hers with his blood. No one on earth made a fool out of her so easily except for Possible. All the more reason to fight the one they called Legion.

He merely got up on his feet and patted whatever dirt was on his coat.

"Looks like you're without a weapon," Shego taunted.

Val only grunted. "Believe me, when I'm through with you, you'll wish I only attacked you with one."

Shego then burst out into an excited, maniacal laughter as her fists flared up to their full potential. She really did come here to fight. "BRING IT ON!"

She quickly rushed at him at with everything she had. Hardly excited, Val merely cracked his knuckles, even his mechanical ones, and slowly advanced towards her.

"Don't say I didn't warn you…"

* * *

Teleportation. A wonder of the universe that no one could figure out, most believing it was nothing more than just something cooked up by a fantasy writer, and back then such imagination could be considered insanity. Yet, this device that was thousands of years old, one that surprisingly still worked.

Much like The Excerpt, Kim found the experience to be overwhelming. It was like she was going through some kind of portal into another dimension at full speed, enough to have various muscles of hers cramping. It wasn't that she was flying towards her destination at mach speeds. Earth didn't have these kinds of tripped-out colors. Also like the Excerpt, Kim's senses were almost possessed by this power. Everything she was seeing, she wouldn't remember it when it was all over.

What felt like minutes only lasted five seconds, then everything suddenly went to black.

When she came to, she found herself in a rusty old village somewhere in the middle of rural China. She instantly recognized it as the same place she saw in her vision. After moving around a bit, she realized her butt wasn't sitting on ground, and neither was her back. It then came to her: she landed in some kind of dumpster. She instantly freaked out, fearing the smell would stick to her, and she quickly tried to get out. But she lost her balance and fell right out.

There was a thirteen hour difference between her current location and where she was at, and it showed. Just when the sunrise hit the Atlantic, it was already night time here. She could have sworn she had gone back in time based on what she saw, but time wasn't affected by what she had gone through, a dimensional portal that allowed her to go from one point on earth to another. Kim didn't remember a thing, except for the fact that she didn't come here alone.

Where was Wade?

And just as the thought came to mind, a little over a hundred pounds came crashing right down on her, no different than a piano falling on a cartoon character. Kim was lucky to land in a dumpster, only to soften the fall for Wade and go splat, wherever he and his bag came from. He was no less confused than she was when it came to the portal. What was it, and how did it work? Before Wade could think about it for a second longer, Kim shook him off.

"Ow…" she muttered as she struggled to her feet.

"Sorry…" Wade sheepishly apologized. "If I knew I was going to land on you, I would've yelled to warn you… Where are we?"

It took Kim some time to get on her feet, getting a bit of a blood rush as she got on her knee. It only lasted for a split second, fortunately. She helped Wade onto his feet.

"I saw an image of China before we got out," she explained. "This looks like the place… can't say I'm familiar with it, though…" It was too dark already to make everything out.

The two grabbed their bags, and it started.

The hunt for Ron was on.

But once they got outside the alleyway, everything lip up and things weren't what they seemed. It wasn't a poor village at all. It was much more modern that both thought. The alley just gave them a false impression. Towering buildings that stood hundreds of stories tall filled the entire area. Not only did they house the residents, but many were also filled with shops from floor to floor. Even the rooftops had people trying to sell various things, from pets to food (No, the food wasn't made from those pets… I think). And not that the buildings had everything. Shops ran endlessly through crowded streets.

Yet, Kim saw more than just a few blocks in her vision. Was this the place? Or was she dropped off near it? And just once, this was actually a situation where she needed Val to explain it. Wade probably would have known if he took ancient technology more seriously, that and if he had his computers handy. Best not to bring it up now, for fear of Wade worrying what the black suits could have been doing to them back home in Middleton.

It didn't hit Kim immediately, but only now she recognized the place.

"Kowloon… We're in Hong Kong."

But something wasn't right at all. The area was supposed to have grown more modernized in the last decade or so, but most of the towering buildings looked like hell. Broken, rusty, with sheets and laundry at every window. Out of all the places in the world, Kim never came here. She recognized it from a research paper she had to do about China in Geography class. In those studies, she learned of the Kowloon Walled City, the closest thing to a city of pure anarchy. Because it was built on a peninsula, the city didn't expand. Instead, the buildings got taller and taller to immeasurable heights. Some were so old that they would collapse on the inside. Kowloon may have been a lawless city, full of gambling, crimes, filthy, where no police were allowed, but it's colorful appearance made it stand out in Hong Kong's history. Even some tried to prevent its fate.

However, this place was way before Kim's time. The entire place was demolished in 1993. She and Ron were either in kindergarten or first grade then.

So why did this area resemble so many of those pictures? Illuminated lights lit the streets, rusted and aging buildings with laundry everywhere, shops full of low-class citizens, cars that were anything but new. The place looked like a low budget 80's flick, but Kowloon should have shared a similar appearance to what many people perceive as Hong Kong.

Of course, she was in the slums. But if this were the slums, what was it that she saw in her vision? Worse slums? Or maybe it some area hidden deep within the city. Either way, where she was at heavily resembled the Walled City. There were probably many who still yearned for the old days and tried what they could to rebuild the fabled city.

Only one way to find out. Time to explore. While her bag had everything from her laser lipstick to her grappling hooks, it might not have been a good idea to roam around with those methods. Whether or not people knew there was a ridiculous reward for Kim's capture, it was best not to catch attention anyway. Already several people had walked past her, and yet either no one recognized her, or they didn't care. The place was glowing in all kinds of exotic and colorful lights, from purple to green. But it didn't provide any assurance of safety for the night.

If people did try to rebuild to old city and everything it stood for, Kim was in all heaps of trouble. No one could be trusted. Sure, the more populated and modernized areas of Kowloon were miles away, but this suspicious new discovery… she had to be careful. She didn't feel the need for a disguise, as one might have been too suspicious anyway. Besides, she blended in. While many of Kowloon's inhabitants were Chinese, there were a lot of tourists from all over the world. Maybe they heard of a rebuilding of the old city and wanted to see it for themselves.

Before Kim was ready to head off, one thought refused to hide itself.

Val would have felt at home here.

* * *

"**HOLD STILL!"**

"Hah! Like I said, no technique at all!"

Most people would have thought that a fight between Shego and Val would prove to be loud, long and nasty. It was actually the opposite. For nearly a half hour Val did nothing but defend himself against the feared rogue, and not because Shego put him on the edge. She tried everything she had against him, and while most of her attacks consisted of her plasma flames, she just could not touch or even get close to him.

But she was never calm in a fight. It wasn't long before she got irritated by missing so much, and it quickly got to the point where she yelled in desperate attempts to hit him. That was her problem, she was more prone to anger than Val was and she quickly got desperate. In that desperation she got careless, and with enough rage to lose her balance. Sometimes she ran into the wall from a missed strike.

With the way she was yelling and with her desperate strikes, she was going to exhaust herself, and that was Val's plan. But a normal human being would have passed out a long time ago. Shego's supernaturalism didn't just give her green skin and flaming hands. A normal human being would have died after being knocked into a satellite tower that crumbled on impact. That comet gave her incredible physical strength and stamina as well. She might not have been completely exhausted, but it wasn't going to be long before a blood vein in her brain would snap.

She just couldn't take this. She yelled. She cried. She cursed. She screamed. She had never been so furious.

And it wasn't that she grew rusty, either. For the three months that she was in prison, forced to wear gloves that prevented her from using her plasma powers (and couldn't be removed no matter how hard she tried), she trained every single moment she could, often skipping on food. Every minute of that gym training she thought of revenge. Revenge against Kim Possible. Revenge against her for nearly killing her. Revenge for that scar on her face. Revenge for that scar that refused to heal on that perfect luscious face of hers. Revenge for delivering a humiliating defeat that night. Every second of training focused on draining Kim of her blood. And yet, she never heard of the newcomer. After that and being held back, it only continued. Almost two years of raw training.

And he made it look like it was all in vain.

Finally, after another missed strike, in which Val only tilted his head, Shego was starting to show signs of physical exhaustion. She was hyperventilating. "How… how is this possible?"

Val was calm as ever. "Are you serious? Is that the best you could do? Nothing but a waste of time."

"SHUT UP!" she roared as she charged at him one more time.

Again another thoughtless attack, bringing her fists of fury down upon his head. But he quickly went in low, pressed his boots against Shego's abs and thrusted them up as hard as he could. She was knocked into the ceiling, and she hit the floor no less faster. Just as Shego hit the ground, she shot a fireball straight at Val.

And it hit _her_ straight in the face.

He actually slapped it away, deflecting it with his left hand. Being on the ground, it only knocked her further away.

This time she couldn't get on her feet. She was down for the count.

Val chuckled as he grabbed his bag from the darkness in the room. "How unusual is that?" he casually asked. "You can create plasma energy from your hands, they're immune to it, yet the rest of your body isn't. Interesting weakness, I'd say."

It wasn't the first time Shego had a plasma fireball deflected back at her. Kim had done it a few times herself long before she got into her relationship with Ron.

A calm face turned into a cold one. "Pfft… Even with lowered expectations this was a pathetic and tedious fight… Looks like you were wrong. I don't love the thrill of a fight; I love the thrill of a _good_ fight. Even Kim was a more vicious opponent." He didn't concern himself with Shego any longer, and made his way toward the last remaining chair. He relaxed himself as he got inside, ready to indulge himself in his thoughts.

"Life is full of disappointments, Shego. And you're just one of them." He waved two fingers at her, a goodbye gesture he used all too often. "And to think this is how we met for the first time…"

But Shego was determined not to let him go. With whatever remaining strength she had left in her, she got up and charged at him with flaring fists. Not a muscle on his face moved as she ran across the room, even when she was close enough to toast him. Just as the fires of her fists were just inches away from his face, the chair shot upward at full speed. It hit her right on the chin, knocking her all the way to the other side of the room.

She was beaten again, and he got away. How? How the heck did he make such a fool out of her? She lay on the floor not only gathering her thoughts, but she wound up chuckling. Chuckling, after getting owned. He beat her without breaking a sweat, deflecting on of her attacks out of all things. He only did one counterattack, and never went on the offensive otherwise, at all. But it wasn't just him. Shego exhausted herself, she got careless.

And she absolutely loved it. She had never been in such an exhilarating fight. Ever. This is what she needed. This is exactly what she wanted.

She lay on the floor, almost laughing. "But it certainly won't be the last… Fine. Help Kim find the buffoon… get her back together with him even… I don't care anymore…" She then pulled out a small belt with three tracking devices in it.

One was missing.

"See you later… Vlad. I'll show you what a _real_ fight is next time… This was only a test… They're really what they say you are…"

* * *

Kowloon wasn't a friendly city at night, and it didn't help if you didn't speak the language. Fortunately, people went easy on Kim and her 'luggage'. She had gone from shop to shop asking if anyone has seen Ron. But since she didn't speak the language, she showed everyone a picture of Ron that she had in her wallet. They didn't need to ask questions. They knew she was looking for someone, and with the way she was holding him in the photo, they knew why. But everyone shook their head. They had not seen anyone like that, but tried to suggest someone they knew. Often, Kim wound up going in circles, and no one had any information.

It was well past 9PM in Kowloon, and being a single foreign girl in the slums even made Kim feel uncomfortable. Not only that, but Wade was slowing her down, seriously cramped from the penitentiary earlier.

And she just happened to find a shopping cart next to her. Before Wade knew it, he and his bag were tossed into it. Kim also put her bag in there.

"Kim! I'm not a baby!" Wade cried with embarrassment.

"Calm down!" she whispered loudly. "Just put it this way: You don't have to walk so much."

And maybe Kowloon wasn't so dangerous. Kim found herself strolling down a sidewalk that had shops open. People tried to sell her all sorts of things. Jewelry, free Christmas gift wrapping, fortune telling, martial arts scrolls (which she would have bought if she had the right currency), toys and rare collectables, and even old computer equipment. All friendly men and women, young and old. Odd looks to the kid in the shopping cart, but since Kim didn't speak the language, she couldn't explain. Poor Wade.

All was calm until she approached a bar, and she could see from the lights inside that there was action. Just as she walked faster, some guy was sent flying out the window. He quickly picked himself up and ran off, almost getting run over in the process. His friends came out right after he did, all using the main entrance.

Suddenly, one walked out the broken window, staring at the gang. Hearing the creaks of the shopping cart, the stranger turned their head to Kim.

They both gasped when they recognized each other.

The girl had purple eyes and pigtails. Not just that. It was the exact same girl that tried to kill Kim on the mountains.

"YOU!" they both yelled.

In an instant, the girl took off, leaping across the crowded street and running through an alley. Without a moment to think, Kim took off in pursuit, jumping towards one of the signs that hung above the street to get her across.

"Kim? Kim!" She left Wade alone! He only sighed. Good thing he was tall enough to get out.

The girl definitely knew the place, leading Kim into a labyrinth, often with trash and hanging laundry in the way. It slowed the girl down, and it slowed Kim down. They could have easily leapt from wall to wall to get onto the rooftops, but the buildings were far too high. Often the girl threw whatever she could in Kim's way, from fruit baskets to garbage, but Kim easily leapt over them. Just when the alley turned into a straightaway, a door opened up right on Kim's face.

Slick as ever, she jumped onto it and thrusted herself into the air, able to run on the wall for a moment until one of the bricks collapsed on her. She easily landed on her hands and performed a series of front flips and leaping onto the air. Somehow she was able to catch up to the girl, and just when Kim was about to deliver a kick to her back, purple eyes took a sudden turn. It was narrow and just in the right place to avoid the attack. Kim quickly went after her, following her into a huge court.

It was a dead end. Kim had her trapped.

"Okay, I don't know who you are, or how you survived that fall, but you're going to tell me everything you kn-"

Something heavy struck Kim in the head and everything went black.


	11. 10: Delusional Savage

Sorry to those of you who hate cliffhangers. We end with another one as we approach the end of the second act, and you'll see why. If you're the kind of reader who makes snap judgments with a long list of fanfic no-nos, a huge caution at the end. Just keep in mind some of the main themes I've done for the previous stories.

On a side note I did a picture of Shego on my DeviantArt account, based on the design I envisioned her with last chapter. Same as my penname if you're interested in that. SestrenNK.

**Chapter 10: Delusional Savage**

**

* * *

**

The mysterious purple-eyed girl with pigtails of the same color. Kim had only encountered her once, when Monique tried to help her escape Middleton. The fight was a short one, and while the girl almost shredded most of Kim's clothes off with a pair of swords, the ice was too much for even her. Thanks to that, she wound up sliding off the road and into a steep fall down the mountains, one that dislocated every bone in her body.

She should have been dead.

Kim had her. After a short chase that had the two running through the maze-like alleys of Kowloon, Kim blocked the only way out. The girl was trapped in a massive empty court where children would play during the day. The residents wanted to build a small park there, but it just never happened, leaving a clear, open and dirty field. Towering buildings formed the walls, far too high and too wide to leap across for an escape. Even if the girl could run up the buildings, more than likely the wall would break on her and force her to lose her footing.

The girl looked around desperately for an escape, but Kim blocked the only way out. Silently, she turned to Kim.

Kim on the other hand only took a few steps forward. "Okay, I don't know who you are, or how you survived that fall, but you're going to tell me everything you kn-"

Suddenly, it felt like a huge luggage bag fell on her head and everything went black. Her face hit the dirt almost instantly. She tried to open her eyes but everything was a blur, and nearby was a big black one.

Then she heard the girl chuckle from elsewhere. "What an ironic twist of fate… Lovely…" she then let out a giggle.

Suffering a concussion, everything went black with her echoing giggles. Kim could also hear her walk past her and back into the alley.

She escaped.

* * *

A few minutes later, Val himself woke up, not having any idea of what had just happened. All he knew is that he had an instant headache. 

"No wonder that kind of technology was abandoned… didn't say anything the rough landing and numbing your senses… yeesh…" he complained as he popped two aspirins in his mouth, groaning loudly, "What the hell happened? Did I fall from a hundred feet and crack someone else's skull with my own?"

Rubbing his head, he found blood on his hand, but it wasn't his. A few scratches but no cuts. Looking around, he found Kim lying unconscious next to him with a huge gash on her head. He wasn't far from the truth at all. He came out of nowhere and fell right on top of her, skull on skull. Fortunately, considering Val and all his equipment were as heavy as an Acme anvil, a concussion was all Kim suffered.

He sighed. "Hoooh boy…"

Unexpectedly, he soon found his feet to be anywhere but on the ground. He choked briefly, and when he turned his head down, he found fierce green eyes glaring at him.

"I HAD HER!" Kim yelled, holding him by the collar. "It's her! I know he's here! She was the closest lead I had and you messed everything u-!"

She was sent flying across the field. Val quietly patted the dirt off his coat with one hand, putting his other hand somewhere inside it.

"I thought I told you never to hold me like that again. Calm the hell down already, will you?"

Kim grunted as she got back onto her feet. "You don't get it… I had her. I don't know who she was, but she has something to do with all of this…"

"She?"

"It's her…" Kim answered, breathing heavily, "Purple eyes, purple pigtails… Just after I left Wade…" Wade… "Oh no, Wade!"

"Right here."

The two turned to the way out, only to find Wade holding the wall and getting some air.

"Took me a while… but I found you guys…" He ran the entire way here with both his and Kim's bag.

Kim gasped. "Wade, I am so sorry!"

"It's cool…" he replied, "So… what happened?"

Kim quickly went from concerned to irritated. "I had purple eyes cornered and trapped here, but before I could get any information out of her, Val screwed everything up. He came out of nowhere and knocked me out."

"It was purely accident," he snapped back as he held his head. "I wasn't even aware of what happened until I woke up and found you lying next to me."

Wade tried to analyze the situation. Maybe the teleportation dropped them into thin air. He wound up landing on Kim, and it was clear Val did, too. Did it send them to the one who saw the vision? Link them up? He didn't think for long.

"You really expect me to believe that?" Kim cried. "Just when I'm about to get answers, I get knocked out, by you. Coincidence? Come on, since when do _you_ ever make mistakes?"

Val grunted as he stepped toward her. "Quite often, more than you would probably like to believe. There's no such thing as a perfect human being, and even with a mechanical limb, I'm no less human than you are. So yes, even I make mistakes, especially when I don't know what the hell is going on. When it comes to knowing how the teleportation works, I know just as much as you two."

Kim sighed to calm herself. "So you had no idea how it truly worked… and you still put us through it."

"You're both as good as dead if we didn't take the risk…" Val answered as he observed the tall buildings, "Would you rather that we didn't?"

"You're right…" Kim hated to admit. "Kowloon… we never got a trace or anything here."

"So…" Wade intervened. "Why did you follow us, Val? If you wanted to get away from Kim, this was the perfect opportunity."

"A worthy concern…" he answered, "but no, I have some business here myself."

"In a place like this, I'm not surprised." Kim replied. "What kind of business?"

"My own," he quickly answered, "but not now. It's not safe here. Best we hit a hotel of some sort and call it a night."

"'Not safe'?" Kim asked incredulously. "Funny coming from someone like you."

"I have no concern for my own safety. But if I defend myself and cause havoc, it'll get attention, and that's the last thing _you_ need. We'll let purple eyes get away for now… let her think that we can't find her."

"Whoever she's working for, she can tell them we're here…"

"I'm not so certain that she is…"

Kim's eyebrows took a skeptical curve. "You know who she is, don't you?"

Val slowly turned his head and leveled his eyes with Kim's. "No… I don't. It's just something my gut tells me…" He then took the time to observe his surroundings. Not only were the buildings tall and in bad shape, but loud music could be heard from cars, and a lot of people pretending to be part of another culture. Swearing and Chinese Ebonics if it existed. "So this is Kowloon… Even with disguises we're best being off the streets this time around…"

"So you want me to just walk away?" Kim asked as she crossed her arms. "I don't work that way."

Val shook his head with a smile. "Have you forgotten what situation we're in, Kim? We're being hunted down, all of us. Even if these people don't know who we are, or are aware of the bounties on our heads, if we get caught up in some street fight, we'll get noticed, and that's the last thing we need. And we can't really be noticed if we're stuck in some hotel room, away from them. We wait until daytime to continue our search where gangs are less likely to pick a fight. I don't think pigtail girl is going anywhere. People stop running when they know they're not being chased after. Trust me on this…"

"I hope you're right… but still, no one's even recognized me here."

"Start some trouble and they will."

Kim shook her head in thought. "So tell me, Val, is this how you've managed to elude us for nearly six months?"

"It is… and I'm getting the feeling I'm not the only one."

"And what if she's linked with Ron somehow?"

"For all we know she's already got a trap set if we pursue her. She could be using Ron as bait, and you could just sucker yourself right in. It's best we hide, have her roam the streets just as you found her and capture her then, alone. And if she comes to us and tries to kill us, all the better. Even then, she could be hiding and wait for the coast to clear."

"I see… still…"

"We all need rest. Even if we do find her, we can't fight if we don't have a good night's sleep. You can follow or roam the streets, I don't care. I'm getting some shuteye." Just as he was about to walk past Kim, he suddenly stopped, noticing a small trail of blood from the side of Kim's head. "Let me see that…"

Without any warning, he pulled out a bandage from his coat and put it on Kim's head. Simple task, right? Not the way he did it, and it almost put Kim to shock. Instead of just slapping it on, he took his time with it, actually treating Kim like a woman for once. So careful and precise. It was one of the rare times he placed his hands on her, not being in a fight and all. But his hands, they were so delicate, soft and warm, even his mechanical one. It didn't even feel like metal, the way he placed the bandage on. So much care into a little thing.

"That's better."

With that, he walked out of the alley, making nothing of it. After Kim regained her senses, it was like nothing happened. She really wanted to pursue the girl and catch her again, but she wasn't sure how long she was unconscious. And by the time the argument was over, that gave her even more time. But he did have a point, they hadn't slept all night. Not with the plant fight and busting Wade out.

Her main fear was if Ron or Rufus were around, they'd be moved somewhere else. The girl was her closest clue in months. She knew she was somehow connected with Ron.

And he was close. She could feel it. But she reluctantly agreed to follow Val. Not only because he might have had a point about sleeping, but she didn't want Wade to be roaming around these streets at night. Best to have him out of danger. It was a good thing all of them had fake IDs.

The entire way to the hotel she could feel Ron's presence. But Kim and Wade didn't speak the language. Fortunately, while Val's Cantonese was a bit rusty, he knew the language, and set them up in a decent hotel room with three beds. The only hard thing was finding the room, since there were so many floors, all with so many rooms. But Val got what he asked for, a room with three beds. That's all there was besides a window.

It didn't matter. They came for rest, and seconds after they got onto the mattresses, they were out. But even in her sleep, she could feel him. If he really was moved outside of Kowloon, she'd know.

She'd know, and she'd follow.

* * *

Meanwhile, a door slammed. She walked into the dark room and tossed the door keys onto a small counter. Frustrated, she let herself fall onto the couch. It was a red room, lit only by a single lamp on the counter, next to her keys. She lit up a cigarette and lit it up, allowing the fumes to soothe her mind and lungs. 

"And here I thought you quit…" came a grave voice from behind her.

The girl soon found dirty, filthy hairy hands on her shoulders, moaning as they gave her a shoulder massage. "You know… It's not nice to sneak up on a girl like that."

A grave voice breathed on her neck. "I know, but that's the only way I can get a rouse out of you, Melissa," he told her, hiding his face behind her shadow. "But I haven't seen you walk in the door like that before. Is something wrong?"

The girl sucked in more smoke. "No. Not at all."

He scoffed. "You lie, and that's not very nice, either. What happened out there? If someone laid a finger on you…"

"It's not like that," she was quick to remark. "But you're right, that wasn't the truth."

"What's wrong, then? You know you can tell me anything."

"I had to defend myself against 'The Crows' again. Bastard street gang. But that wasn't it. When I got out, I saw her."

"'Her'?"

"Kim Possible… She's here… in Kowloon."

The girl shut her eyes as if expecting abuse. Yelling. Things being destroyed. And the rare possibly being slapped around the room. Instead, the shadow behind her merely scoffed. All he did was pull the cigarette and crumbled it with his hands, still fully lit. He showed no signs of pain as part if it burned his fingers.

"Did she come alone?" he asked.

"No… She brought Wade and… I still can't believe it."

"Who?"

"Legion… Val… Valia Erocus Ryan himself. He's working with her."

He chuckled. "Valia Ryan? How intriguing. I suppose your failure wasn't so bad after all…" referring to the fight on the mountains near Middleton. But the whole time, he wouldn't stop chuckling.

"That's not funny. I know why he's here, and with Possible…"

A finger slid down her neck, again making her moan slightly. "Calm down. You have nothing to worry about. I'll take care of you. I always have, haven't I?"

"You mean you're not worried about them? You know why they're here, too."

"Not… at… all… If they have come here to challenge me, I'm more than ready for both of them at once."

The girl rolled her eyes. "Not on my watch. I'm not letting anybody know who you are and that you're here. You're too dangerous to be let loose out there for even a second."

"Indeed," he chuckled. "Not even Ryan himself stands a chance…"

A slight creaking noise could be heard from nearby.

"The mole rat seems to be hungry again. Feed him, won't you?" the man asked.

Melissa got up and walked toward another door, her silhouette turning back to the one who merged with the darkness. "They've come for him… the mole rat. I don't know how, but they found out he was here…"

"Let them take him. I don't care."

"You know they won't stop there…"

Suddenly, he started laughing and hopped all around the room, landing in a comfortable position on the couch. He grabbed a bag of chips and popped one in his mouth, and even then he wouldn't stop laughing.

"Ron Stoppable is dead. He's been dead for the last few months. I'm not concerned. Let her come. Let the emo girl find out the hard way. Hell, let Ryan join in."

If he had been watching her eyes, he would have seen that she wasn't convinced. She was scared of something, but seeing no need to argue, she continued down the hall. Once she opened the door at the end, all the fear went away when she made eye contact with someone in the room.

"You'd better eat up this time, mole rat."

Rufus was being held in a cage that wasn't much bigger than he was. He never looked at the girl with a friendly face, not even when he first met her.

"Fortunately for you, since master doesn't like the same pizza I do, I decided to save you a slice. It'll keep both you and me alive a little while longer."

Rufus quickly took the slice from her hand and started eating it. It was well cooked in the microwave, not old by a day. But boy, did he miss Bueno Nacho. After he finished it, he just curled up into a ball and tried to get some sleep.

"That's more like it…" Melissa quietly murmured as she turned off the light and walked out the door. Outside, away from Rufus and her mysterious master, she pulled out a cell phone, staring at it and not knowing what to do.

* * *

"Oh, come on! Please pick up. Please…" 

"_What?"_

"Shego, you answered!"

"_Hoping that you'll stop calling, Drakken. Let me guess, you want me to come back."_

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you the details of the plan, but I think you're ready to know everything."

"_Forget it. I'm actually thinking about letting Ryan live."_

"What? Why?"

"_Doc, let me ask you something. Do you know what it's like to go all karate against Kim for a few years? It gets boring. It was fun before but something was missing. But fighting Ryan? Oh, does he know how to deliver…"_

"Wait, you actually fought him? When?"

"_A few hours ago."_

"And?"

"_I've never felt so much excitement in my _entire_ life!"_

Drakken cackled. "Hah! You lost, didn't you?" he teased.

"_Shut up! I let him win… I just wanted to see if everyone said what he was, and he is. Believe me, next time I'll show him a _good_ time…"_

"Ewww, Shego!"

"_I don't mean THAT! Yeesh, when did you become the pervert?"_

"The tone in your voice. It just sounded weird, that's all. But please reconsider coming back? Please?"

"_I dunno. There's got to be a barrier to break…"_

"Eh?"

"_My bad. Thinking, and I probably shouldn't be doing that while driving on a cell phone, but I am anyway…"_

Drakken laughed again. "You tried to team up with him just like everyone else, didn't you?"

"_So what if I did?"_

"Shego… I told you he wouldn't team up with any of Kim Possible's enemies, not even you."

"_No you didn't, but geez… he's so stiff. Reminds me of my old man when he was still alive. There's gotta be more reason he's helping Possible…"_

"Even if he was, he's not like us, Shego. He may be dark but he's not a villain. He's more a threat to us than Possible is. I know his kind. He's not going to join our side. He might not be on Kim Possible's, but he's not on ours, either."

"_Not believing that, Doc. I want to see for myself."_

"He's not going to team up with you, Shego. What makes you think you're different than the rest of us wanna-take-over-the-world-bad-guy types?"

"_The fact that I'm not a 'guy'. I've suckered guys into doing things for me all the time, and who knows? Sure, he's a lot younger, but he's still a teenager. Something's got to make him crack, especially those hormones of his, and I'm going to find out. I know how guys are; they'll do anything for a girl no matter how young or old they are, as long as they've got the goods. Ryan can pretend to be a hopeless romantic all he wants… I'll find a way to crack that shell of his. And after that, it'll just be the two of us making the world our playground."_

"The two of you? What about me?"

"_I'm done working for you. I was hoping you'd come up with something even close to as good as that Diablo thing, but you've kept me restrained for almost eighteen months. I don't work like that, pal. It was fun, but it's time I move onto better things. You know, people who actually have a chance of taking over the world."_

"Shego, if you won't come back, I understand, but please let me try to make my plan work and not interfere with Possible or Ryan?"

"_Sorry Doc, but I don't take orders from you anymore. Wow. That felt so _great_ just _saying_ it. I'm going to have to make that my new ring tone. 'I don't work for Drakken anymore!'"_

Drakken sighed. "Well, if things don't go well, the door's always open for you, Shego. Good luck."

He disconnected before Shego even had the chance to respond. He crashed on a bean bag chair, staring into the ceiling. One person was gone, and already the lair felt lifeless and dry.

Drakken sighed to himself. "This place just… _sucks_ now without Shego."

The phone then rang, so he picked it up. "Hello? No, I'm not interested in a new long service plan! I don't even pay for my old one!"

"_How interesting… Sir, what's your name?"_

"My name? It's… uh…" Drakken wandered around the lair just to think of a believable name. The first thing he saw was a henchman draw a tree.

"Drew…"

He then saw one eating a cookie, his lips moving all over the place as he chewed on it.

"Lip…" Then he wandered outside and found some kids skiing down the mountain again.

"Ski… That's it, Drew Lipsky!" Realizing what he just said, he let out the frustrated whines, cries, moans and gibberish he was known for.

"Suck on this!" he cried, tossing the cell phone off the mountain, hitting one of the skiers straight in the head. "Bulls eye!"

Then he remembered that he was expecting a checkup call from his mom in just a few minutes. Oh, momma Lipsky wasn't too happy about the diablo scare, so she called everyday to make sure Drakken had no plans for world domination. He could be modifying a ray gun, tell her no, and she'd believe it.

Frustrated, Drakken had to climb down the mountain.

* * *

Shego glared at her cell phone. "That's weird… since when does Drakken ever say 'good luck' and sound like he's about to cry?" She then closed her eyes and shook her head. "Nah… I've got other things to worry about… but then again, Drakken has taken care of me for quite a while… did what he could to make me feel at home…" 

She couldn't help but think of the times she had with Drakken. Sure, it was almost six years, but so much had happened… unfortunately it involved getting her outfit and hair soaked, smoked, torn and ripped, among other humiliating defeats at the hands of Possible and Stoppable.

One thing was certain. Drakken was a lot nicer to her than Valia was.

"I guess the least I can do is give him Canada…" she said as she shrugged her shoulders.

* * *

Daytime. Blinding light. Kim was all too familiar with it, waking up in a time where she normally would have been eating dinner. It was early in Kowloon, waking up just at the perfect time. She got out of bed, stretched and yawned… 

Only that she completely forgot there were two other boys in the room. There was a bit of room there, thankfully, and both appeared to be asleep. Wade wore blue pajamas and Val didn't even bother with the covers, just wearing camo pants without a shirt. Probably hot in that jacket the entire time. He also held his sword in one of his hands, since he got the bed closest to the window.

It was still hard to believe. Out of all of them, he was the protector, even though he said he didn't care about a lot of things. When it came to beds near the windows, usually when she had to share a hotel room with Ron, it would be mixed. Before they dated, she was the one who slept near the window in case anyone broke in. After they started dating, he always volunteered.

Kim couldn't help but get excited. She just knew today she would find Ron. Relieved the two other boys were still asleep, she went towards the bathroom…

Right, this hotel room didn't even have that. So she went outside and found it, and she was glad she did. Her guess was that many women didn't come here, but it looked brand new, probably the only thing in the hotel without broken floors and paint coming out of the walls. It had everything, even lockers and showers. Best of all, it was completely empty. She had probably the best room in the entire region all to herself.

When she was done, feeling fresh in a casual outfit and wearing a ponytail, she came back into the room to find the boys wide awake. Val was already back in his leather garb, packed and fully loaded and smelling pretty… good, fresh out of the shower himself. But the smell was just _way_ too familiar. Kim almost burst out into laughter. He used the same body soap and deodorant Ron did.

"Hell, even I have to smell good," was Val's excuse. He noticed Kim was constantly sniffing as he put a glove on his left hand.

But it did absolutely nothing to that hair of his, all over the place like a jungle as usual. Kim briefly covered her face. With his voice, looks and hair, he looked like a mess. But for him to smell good? It just felt so awkweird. What was next? Finding out Shego has an obsession with family movies that have talking cats and dogs as the leads? That Bonnie likes to draw on her belly button and pretend it talks? All bizarre thoughts aside, Kim turned to Wade, who actually had a laptop open and was typing on it. She quickly went to see what was going on.

"I'm just not picking up anything…" he said with a slightly depressed tone, "I've done everything from infrared, x-ray, sound, even biological scans. Ron's not coming up."

"What about purple eyes?" Kim asked.

"Well, that's what puzzles me. She's not showing up either…"

But Kim still felt it, that indescribable feeling. No, he was still here, somewhere…

"Strong harmonic resonance?" Val asked.

"This city's full of it, but I've able to tackle ones that had much, much worse… I've definitely gotten interference but I can't crack it… Something's at work but I can't pinpoint it, either… any ideas?"

Val shrugged his shoulders. He made scramblers but never had to descramble them.

Suddenly, a beeping noise filled the room. It was Kim's audio communicator. Monique. Val relaxed himself on the bed while Wade continued his work.

"Hey Monique, what's the sitch?"

"_I was just about to ask _you_ that. But since you asked first, the black suits are out to dinner. Looks like they all have an eating schedule, so _everyone_ went to Bueno Nacho at the same time. Meaning, that they're nowhere in the neighborhood. So I rushed over to Wade's house and filled his mom in on the news. Then I went to your house and told the family what was going on. Then I came back."_

"Thanks for playing messenger, Monique. They all must be so worried…"

"_Well, Wade's mom knows you'll keep him safe, so she's not too worried. Your mom seems to be the worried one because she knows you're all stressed out, and even she's not sure if partnering up with Val is a good idea."_

Kim looked back to the one being talked about, whose attention was now completely elsewhere. "Well, I'll tell you one thing, whether or not I wind up regretting this later, I've never been so close to catching Ron. I haven't even had a clue for the last six months and then I get a huge whopper of it fall right in front of me."

"_He's there? You saw him?" _Monique asked in shock.

"No, but… You don't happen to remember that person I fought when we almost crashed in the mountains?"

"_Please don't say 'crash' and 'mountains' in the same sentence, please?"_

"Oh, sorry."

"_But yeah, that biker girl with those purple pigtails? Two swords?"_

"She survived the fall. Not only that, but she's here in Kowloon."

"_Kowloon? You're in Kowloon?"_ There was a slight pause for a few seconds. _"Where is that, again?"_

"Hong Kong, north of the island. China."

"_Right. I knew that. So how do you know she's linked with Ron? I mean, she's definitely 'spicious, but…"_

"I know I've said I've never believed in these kinds of things, but it's almost like I'm… sensing him. I don't know how to explain it."

"_You sure you're not just too excited?"_ Monique then sighed. _"Kim, remember those false leads that were a waste of time? Egypt, Afghanistan, Saudi Arabia, the Philippines, Brazil… too many to remember… you were all worked up like this even then."_

She was right. One 'clue' about Ron's whereabouts and Kim would be out of the country in the same minute.

"_I don't mean to say this to harden your feelings, girl. It's just that… I've seen you come back disappointed, and it's not cool to watch. It's not like the times you denied all sorts of things like jellin'. I get worried about you too, you know? I hope I'm wrong, I really do, and I want you to find Ron just as much as everyone else. You're not the only one who misses him. But you just be careful out there, okay?"_

Every ounce of excitement inside Kim just went dead. "I will, Monique," she said weakly. "So, the black suits are at dinner. Any word about their hunt going international?"

Monique felt guilty just by hearing Kim's voice. _"I think I've heard them say they might if they can't find you, but I'm hearing all kinds of 'no authorization' stuff. But it's actually a good thing you left the country. Most of your rides and allies around the states have been cornered. That reminds me, what's her name called your house… Bay City… uh… Jen. Is that it?"_

"Jen? Is she caught up in this, too?"

"_She said not to worry about her. No one knows where the 'lab' is, whatever that means, and she and her dad are fine. And that 'they're' looking into it and she thinks her boyfriend can do something to mess with the black suits' systems. Should buy you more time if you need it."_

"'Boyfriend'? You mean…"

"_That's the impression I got, anyway. She didn't say it herself."_

"Oh. Figures. I didn't think Nev would start dating her in this time, but then again he's done some stuff before that just _breaks_ the weirdar scale."

Such as unleashing a mechanized living monster bent on eating people on Halloween night. He called it the "WereToilet." It was only intended to freak people out, though. No danger.

Kim continued, trying to rub off the memory. "Do they know what's going on?"

"_I told her what I knew, but she seemed to already know most of it. They've been trying to break through security, but some heavy duty stuff is in the way. I also told them what you were up to, how you were doing and all that stuff."_

"What'd they… err, I mean, Jen, say?"

"_She says she's had moments where she had to act on desperation alone, and sometimes you have to take deadly risks to achieve your goals. But always be cautious. Don't be too reckless and always be on guard."_

"I still can't believe she can say such things and be a total ditz at the same time."

"_Oh, and to tell Val thanks for everything."_

Val was already back asleep at this point.

"I'd tell him if he were awake."

"_Tired, huh? This early?"_

"Actually, it's early in the morning here."

"_Morning? I didn't wake you, did I?"_

"No, not at all. Actually, we were about to head out to find purple eyes again. I cornered her last time, but Val kinda fell from outer space and landed on me, knocking the both of us out."

"_Say that again?"_

"Oh, well, that's how we got here in Kowloon. We used some kind of room filled with ancient technology, something called the Excerpt and teleportation chairs… You know what, I think I'll explain it to you when this is all over."

"_Good, cause I'm already confused. But Kim, you do what you gotta do over there. You go find Ron and bring him home! And don't you dare die out there on me, girl."_

"I won't… So that's the update?"

"_The whole deal. Catch you later."_

"Thanks, Monique."

Kim put the device away, turning around to find Val right in front of her, startling her.

"Ready to go?" he calmly asked.

Kim sighed loudly, briefly covering her face. "Yeah. If it's not too hard to ask, can you _not_ sneak up on me like that?"

"I'll try. Let's go."

Val slowly made his way out of the room, and Kim had something in her mind that was just eating her brain. She sighed as she looked to Wade.

"I can't believe I'm about to ask this, but Wade, I'm going to have to ask you… _not_ to leave the room." She quickly covered her face afterward.

Wade quickly shot her a thumbs-up with a huge smug on his face. "Thought you'd never ask! I got _no_ problem with that!" Telling Wade not to leave the room… even if it wasn't his…

Val hollered from outside. "You coming?"

Kim cracked her knuckles. "You bet I am."

* * *

It may have been December in Kowloon, but it was only slightly breezy just with partly cloudy skies. A good day for a hunt. 

But the plan wasn't to engage in espionage action, ask around for clues, ask people if they've heard of the purple girl, to scan the entire region to trace every clue, jump around town and stalk the girl…

Instead, the plan was just to roam around the city as travelers, tourists. However, Val wasn't in his usual leather garb, just wearing an ordinary sweater with jeans. Kim only wore a brunette wig. Why? If people knew they were looking for someone, word would spread. The girl might have had her contacts in the city, and if the two were to ask around, they could accidentally ask one of these contacts. If anything, that could draw attention. Maybe the girl was in touch with the mob or bad gangsters. Maybe the hunt for Kim reached the Hong Kong area. Attention was not needed. Same with jumping around town, using weapons and gadgets, and anything that might render them unique. In short, Kim Possible couldn't be Kim Possible, and Valia Ryan couldn't be Valia Ryan or Legion. Just two ordinary teenagers in a dark city. Of course, Val applied makeup to hide his scar and put gloves on both hands, his arm being hidden in his sweater.

They would either find the girl by chance, just like Kim did yesterday, or she would come to them. They'd have to catch her off guard. Any other way could mean trouble. Both roamed the streets looking around for anything, and it wasn't hard to miss a girl with purple hair and purple eyes. If anything, it felt more like a free day.

Being in another country and roaming around, Kim couldn't help but look around. Inevitably, she wound up shopping for foreign souvenirs. And who knows? Maybe there was a decen-

A Club Banana in Kowloon. Perfect. Actually, if she wasn't so bent on labels, she would have known it was just a sign with Smarty Mart clothes inside. She found out the hard way when not a single shirt or pant had the label on it. Still, she decided to fish around. Much better than Smarty Mart prices. But Kim noticed something was up."

"This is all fall season! Where's the winter wear?"

"They throw it in the back," a girl answered. "Too many people have been stealing the clothes up front."

Something then caught Kim's eye in the back. "That… it can't be… it is! Thanks!" She quickly darted off towards one of the blue sweatshirts in the back. It was a rare one she couldn't find in Upperton or Middleton or Bay City (well, she begged Jen to go out and look and she did). Club Banana or not, she had to have it, and now that she exchanged her money with Val for the right currency, it was all hers.

She should've paid much more attention to the shadow of the one who suggested it…

A sweater wasn't necessary here, so Kim just put it in her backpack and continued to walk around. It was weird. It was so peaceful during the day. No guys talked to her, no one tried to take her wallet (purse if she ever carried one); it was safe. Maybe the day was fine but the nights weren't. If they hadn't been so deep in their sleep the previous night, they would have heard sirens, gunshots, yells and the sound of breaking glass.

Peddlers and merchants constantly urged Kim to buy all sorts of things, from fish, jewelry, computers and electronics to movies. So nice, kind and respectful. Most anyway. One wanted to know if she was interested in becoming her son's wife, but since Kim didn't understand the woman, all she said was "Maybe I'll buy one next time."

Later on, the sun was starting to set. She had been getting hungry, but wasn't familiar with what they had here. And how do you order if you don't speak the language, let alone read the menus?

"So, I assume you haven't found anything, either."

Val's presence startled her. "I thought I asked you not to sneak up on me like that."

"I stepped loudly so you'd at least hear me."

Kim groaned. "So you said you haven't found anything, huh?"

"No, but I've overheard some-"

He was interrupted by an embarrassing growling noise coming from Kim's belly. Her face said it all, but he let out a small chuckle.

"I see I'm not the only one who needs food. Come on, I'll explain the details to you over a meal. I ran across some place with a decent variety of dishes."

* * *

Val led her to an outdoor restaurant that wasn't too far away, located on the corner of a street. It looked rather new, with all the waitresses being girls, and there were plenty of both sitting around. The guys loved seeing them, and the girls wouldn't have to be worried about male waiters hitting on them. 

Then he explained the details of what he overheard around town. Apparently, there was a street gang in town called "The Crows," and its leader, Chimera, was infatuated with the girl. Her name was Melissa Uso, but nothing was known about her other than that she was mixed Caucasian and Japanese. But Melissa, or Missy, constantly rejected him, and he refused to accept it every time. She'd often have to beat the snot out of him to get him to go away, but he refused to give up. Sounded like Sean, really. But she always ate around here before the sun had set. Either they were just on time, or they were already too late. Still, they couldn't hunt on an empty stomach, so when the waiter came by, Val ordered for himself and told Kim what the menu was. Unfortunately, the names of the food were much different than the Chinese restaurants back home, with the exception of Robot Chicken. But Kim had a craving for pizza and a burger, and they had it. Homemade.

And just as the girl left, Val gave Kim one more detail. "Don't look now, but at seven' o clock is Chimera himself."

Even Kim could tell he was nothing but a poser. He might have killed and hurt people, but it was embarrassing to hear him talk slang and tough. Her mind quickly went elsewhere, though.

"This is weird. I'd never thought I'd be eating next to you. Don't you go telling people this is some kind of date, now."

One of Val's eyes twitched. "Date? We must think differently in that sense… how exactly is this a 'date'?"

Kim could tell by his eyes that he wasn't joking around. "Well, I mean, here we are, the two of us at a table, you know, ready to eat?"

Val rolled his eyes. "Please, and you're telling me every time you and Ron went to Bueno Nacho prior to dating, those were dates? If that's the case then you two have been dating forever… I still fail to see how this is any kind of 'date'. Must be difference of opinion."

"Good point on me and Ron…" Kim admitted, blushing on the thought. "But what do you mean 'difference of opinion'?"

"I always thought a date was arranged. But then again, what do I know about dating? Probably the only thing I know next to nothing about…" Odd considering how much he knew of Kim and Ron's relationship. One would think he'd learn of the successes and failures of the relationship.

"Really… Tell me then, what would you consider to be a real date?" Kim simply asked out of curiosity.

"Why do you ask?"

"Well…" she quickly looked away, "Sorry… I shouldn't have asked. It's… probably not my business."

Val looked toward the moon in the sky. "My kind of date… Difficult to say." His voice had radically changed. "The ideal date would be engaging in a deep conversation with the person. We wouldn't just talk about trivial things like our favorite music and movies… we'd talk about life, where our lives are going and what we do. Deep and intelligent conversations, just to find out who she is."

"Well, communication is extremely important in a relationship. Totally understandable. But say she turns out to be someone you like? Then what?"

"A dinner with nothing but the finest meal. But the place would have everything… live music with skilled and passionate musicians… a ballroom floor, chandeliers illuminating the entire place. A fine place, fine music, fine food, a fine night with a fine woman… I personally don't see the point of movies. Your attention is more on what's on the screen than the person sitting next to you. Even worse if it's a romantic comedy."

"How do you figure?"

His voice turned dark again. "Other than its overly-unrealistic stories and pretty stars, there's always going to be comparisons. 'Why can't you have her hairstyle? Why can't you have his nose? Why couldn't you do something cute like that for me? Why can't our love life be like that?'" He then let out a frustrated sigh. "But perhaps I'm wrong. I'd prefer my night with a woman to be all about her… Peh… nothing but my imagination at work, a fantasy at best. Mention ballroom dancing to a woman these days and they'd laugh at you for even thinking that. As long as there are no expensive cars, racing, drugs, booze, nightclubs, popular music, muscle and every other kind of superficial bullcrap involved, they don't give a shit…"

"Don't say that…" Kim quietly told him. "That kind of stuff isn't fake… Okay, it took me a while to agree to go ballroom dancing with Ron, but everything you said about it, that kind of stuff really does exist."

Val briefly glared at her. "Well, someone's gotten nice all of a sudden. What's the occasion?"

Kim chuckled to herself. "Sorry. I guess I have been a bit on edge… I'm just surprised to hear you talk like this. I know I'm going to sound like a jerk for saying this, but when I hear your name, all I see is someone who can do things only seen in movies, standing on a pile of bodies and explosions in the background. Then when you say things like this, it's hard to believe we've been fighting each other for so long. Yet, because of you I'm getting some clues to Ron's whereabouts… I never thought I could trust you when you said you'd help me find him."

"Heh… 'Trust'… You give me far too much credit. You only put yourself in further danger by trusting a stranger, Kim, or anyone for that matter."

"Maybe… still… But I wouldn't get all pessimistic about finding love. Most people usually want things like that. It's just that they don't know it yet. I mean, I wasn't the perfect person when Ron and I started dating. I used to be attracted to guys with nice cars and motorcycles, the good looks and smooth personality department, but that all changed at Prom. Just that one kiss… I realized so many things. Not just about Ron, not just life, but myself. I realized so many things were wrong with me as a person, not just some of my tastes and what I believed in, but the way I thought about things. Sure, I wanted a boyfriend for Prom, but it was more of getting in Bonnie's face than anything. That one kiss made me realize so many things, it opened up my mind. I wanted more out of life. But it wasn't that I was dumb, it's just that I didn't know what I really wanted in love or life at the time. We usually don't when we're young, not that I'm defending those girls you speak of."

"Pfft… Is that why you see people in their thirties and forties at nightclubs pretending to be teenagers? Perhaps you're right, they might not know what they want in life, but there are too many people who never find out. A kiss might have done it for you, Kim, but let's face it, most girls won't let guys get close enough to kiss them, and even if they do, they're usually the wrong person, not the kind of person who wants to set the girl free, the type that wants to get in her pants. You can still hear the Chinese Puff Daddy behind you. How many times do you suppose that loser has gotten some? Do I blame him or the girl for subjecting herself that low? Or is it the usual 'people make mistakes' garbage that they never show regret or remorse for even on their deathbed?"

Kim sighed. "Please don't talk like that. Not everyone's as smart as we are or have deep thoughts about life and love… it can be annoying at times, I know, but…"

"I just don't understand how it works at all. Be yourself, they say. That didn't do a damn thing in high school. Make yourself presentable. Bull. Be nice and respectful. Whoever wrote that was probably on a hospital bed after taking ecstasy and got hit by a bus."

"Let me ask you something… I know we've had our differences and fights but… The way you've treated me before… Jen and Yori even… do you treat all girls that way?"

"No, I treat women differently than I do in battle. Depending on who they are, if they're free of huge insecurities, if they don't pretend to be someone they're not, if they have a brain in their skull, if they don't always think about themselves… But if I'm attracted to that person, unfortunately I treat them better than anyone else."

"So you really treat them with the highest respect?"

"The way pure angels ought to be treated, without impure intentions of any kind. And a lot more people than you'd think, too." 

"Gosh… I'd think you'd find at least _someone_…"

She made eye contact with him the entire time, even though at times his gaze was to the moon and lights of the city. Even if his eyes were the same color, without that scar of his, he looked so different. He wasn't exactly a bad looking person. The truth was, he was far from it.

Before Val could respond to that, their meal arrived. Kim got exactly what she wanted, a cheeseburger, a pepperoni pizza and lemonade. He on the other hand got what looked like an Italian dish, and what appeared to be a hard drink.

"You'd think so, wouldn-"

Kim scoffed down the entire meal almost immediately. She hadn't eaten in nearly a day, and it was just as important as getting sleep. She let out a small burp after that that only Val could hear.

"Heh…" he chortled, "And I always thought Ron was the one who lacked etiquette…"

"I blame him," Kim quickly remarked, "He kept making me join in on his little eating games, now look at me."

Val could only laugh quietly to himself. "Amusing." He didn't take much time with his meal, either. He didn't have the best etiquette, but he was no less hungry. Even though his drink wasn't a large one, he took his time with it.

"I usually thought people drank when they were under a lot of stress…" Kim pointed out.

He shook his head. "People drink for all sorts of reasons, but I'm not as bad as I was say, a few years ago." After quitting his government job, but before getting his memory erased. "I like to taste flavors worldwide, and sometimes the drink makes my mind a little more active. But I don't drink to get drunk, especially when you know there's all sorts of people after you. I'm not a drone… It's just downright stupid to drink because you want to please your friends, fit in, or to make yourself feel more like an adult. Hell, the adult thing to do is wait it out. Patience… Besides, practicing some martial arts styles require drinking, or at least become familiar with its effects."

"Never were the party type, were you?"

"Some things don't change. Personally, I'm glad you didn't resort to any drastic changes such as this when you were alone in Upperton."

"I've seen what happened to girls who started drinking. 'Just a little bit,' they'd say. Next thing she knew, she woke up in some guy's bed, didn't even know him… probably not good table conversation. There were a lot of kids who died at the beginning of the fall semester. You'd think everyone would call 911, but they didn't want to be arrested for providing the drinks or being involved… it's sick. Some died on the roads… No, I couldn't subject myself to that. I mean, there were a few like you who drank responsibly, but most… I don't know what to think of them. I don't want to judge them, but…"

Keep in mind Val attended Upperton as well. "They probably deserve to be judged if they're doing it without good reason. Some people admitted they knew what they were doing was illegal and in some cases immoral and wrong, but they had a hard time stopping. They wanted to escape but didn't have it in them to. I hold no ill will towards them. But most of them didn't want to hear it, the dumb ones who could only defend themselves with the typical 'You don't know me' bull. I could care less if I don't know you, I know enough to know you're a sad and pathetic individual not worthy of my time. People can say they make mistakes all the time, but so few refuse to learn from them or do anything to prevent themselves from doing it again. It's not just drinking, drugs, sex or any of that. It's everything in life."

Before Kim could respond, she could hear wild hollering from behind her. Chimera and his boys were hooting at a girl.

"Just on time…" Val whispered to himself.

"So what do we do?" Kim whispered, getting a solid visual of Missy Uso.

"Dinner and a show for now. We just wait until the action's over and she thinks the coast is clear. We grab her when she least expects it. But avoid eye contact with her. If people run, we only run a little bit. Don't stand out."

Just as she thought. So Val continued to sip his drink as Melissa walked by on the sidewalk. It wasn't long before Chimera walked over to her and dragged her to his table along with the boys. She kept telling them she wasn't interested and to leave her alone, but he wouldn't listen, even after she backhanded him. It wasn't long before the quiet girl went loud. After repeated times of telling the boys to leave her alone, she grabbed Chimera by the neck with her foot. She quickly spun around and threw him through a parked car. He went through the driver's side window and out the passenger's side window. The other boys attacked, but she was swift, easily evading their knives and knocking each of them out with one blow. A knee to the face, a fist to the neck, a palm smash to the forehead, and an elbow to the head. After that, she merely grunted and continued on her way. But she kept walking and walking to the point where she almost couldn't be seen anymore.

Val finished his drink, leaving a tip for one of the girls in the glass. "Let's move."

Stalking time. Instead of rushing out of the diner, they both calmly walked out. They kept a far distance away from her, just keeping her within sight. However, when she took a corner, both had to rush to make sure she didn't escape.

But by the time they got to the corner, Val found a sword on his throat.

"Nice try, you two."

But before she attempted to slash his throat, he grabbed the blade with his left hand and held it firm, not allowing her to retain it. But Melissa didn't struggle to get her sword back. She instantly ran for it, and the two went into quick pursuit.

The disguises were off. Kim was packed, and so was Ryan. 

But Missy was desperate, shoving any and everything she could into her pursuers' way. Carts with fruits in them, people, children, and she even ran through oncoming traffic. Kim kept to the sidewalks, which might not have been the best idea since there were still many people and signs in her way. Val took the upper hand and leapt from car to car. He and Missy were so fast no one would have noticed unless they were looking over the traffic.

Things changed when Missy threw her remaining sword at him, who caught it in his hand. Problem was, it had already gotten stuck on a sign overhead, slowing him down. Fortunately, it was at a place where traffic was nearly empty, giving Kim the opportunity to dash across the street without peril.

"Go away!"

But they wouldn't. Again, she took a sudden turn into an alley, and Kim was so close to her that she ran past it. Well, she almost did anyway, until something grabbed her and took her in. Val. It wasn't as narrow as yesterday, giving the two plenty of space to move. But Melissa didn't simply run. She leapt on the walls on each corner, letting it collapse and create many speed bumps for her hunters. But it wasn't nearly enough to cause a problem, something that could be easily leapt over. But she was actually much faster than Kim thought. Not just faster in aerobics, but running speed, too. Kim didn't have the upper hand in straightaway alleys, and it wasn't long before they entered the depths of them, getting into another maze.

More and more turns and she couldn't see her.

Then it dawned on Kim. She lost her. But she didn't take this well at all. Kim basically slammed her fist into the closest wall, putting a huge hole in it.

"Damn it! Lost her… She was too fast, wasn't she?"

No answer.

"Val?"

She turned around to see if he was still behind her. He wasn't anywhere to be seen.

* * *

Melissa was panting, but satisfied. She could hear the frustrated groans of Kim, and that was more than enough to confirm that she got away safe and sound. She found herself in another empty courtyard, but this time with two ways out. 

"Fool…"

"Who is the bigger fool? The one who thinks she loses or the one who is certain that she wins?"

Without a second to even react, Val came out of nowhere and grabbed her face. He pressed her skull so hard into the wall so hard that it quickly crumbled apart, suspending her in the air.

"You're going to tell me who you are and why you're here…"

"Val…" she replied weakly, "you're… hurting me…"

The wall cracked even more. "Why am I not surprised you know my name… considering the fact that we've never met? And being hurt is the last thing you should concern yourself with. You shouldn't exist! You shouldn't be here! You shouldn't be alive! And I want to know why you are." But he didn't give her the chance to talk. The palm of his hand quickly went to her throat, and the only sounds coming out of her mouth consisted of coughing and gagging.

"Help…" she weakly cried. "You're… choking… me… Help…!"

Val could soon hear the sound of footsteps nearby and an extremely cold gust of wind.

"Let… her… go…" a grave voice spoke.

Val scoffed as he turned around to the person behind him. "You're going to… have… to… ma… What the hell… _are_ you?"

In shock, he released Missy, who was more than eager to get away. "Get him, master!"

The hairy silhouette took out what appeared to be some kind of spear. "You have no idea how long I've waited for this day… Valia Erocus Ryan…"

Before Val could even get a grip on a weapon, his new mysterious opponent made the first move.

* * *

Kim was frustrated. First, Melissa got away. Second, Val ditched her. Third, she was completely lost. It'd take her past sunset to get out of this maze. 

"I can't believe him!" she cried out loud. "Just when I could use the extra help, he completely ditche-"

Suddenly, Kim heard all kinds of things. Metal clashing, explosives, and what sounded like cries of torture. She instantly went into alert mode and tried to follow the sounds. They only got worse as she ran and took all kinds of turns. Finally, she froze in shock to what she saw at the entrance of the alley.

A bloody mangled mechanical arm. Next to it were all kinds of beaten and destroyed weapons. But no more yelling. Finally, she saw it. A long trail of blood led her to it.

On the opposite end of the court, Val was being held by the neck with his skull embedded into the wall. His jacket had been ripped off and all of his weapons were scattered around the place, all used. Other than his shirt, the only thing he was armed with was a necklace with… _twelve_ ancient artifacts? But he was just mess, painted from head to toe with his own blood.

And he was completely helpless. Kim never thought she'd see the day where Val would have been completely destroyed by a newcomer, similar to her first experience with him. But this wasn't a game. She didn't know who his attacker was, but if she didn't do something about it, he _was_ going to kill Val.

"Such a shame…" his attacker laughed, "I would _love_ to tell you how beautiful revenge tastes…"

Kim needed a long range weapon. The court was the size of a house.

"…How it has just been _begging_ to be delivered…"

Grenades and smoke bombs had been rendered completely useless, some sliced in half. Some sliced in three.

"…And a long time ago you thought I'd never catch up to you…"

Val managed to slip a Mongolian bow and arrows in his jacket, but they were destroyed as well. Used like every other weapon.

"…And here we are… I was going to ask you if you had any last words before I finish you off…"

The whip was too far away and its range was too limited.

"… Before I give you a slow and painful death that you deserve…"

Shurikens, but most were broken. Most would think they could still be used, but without it being whole, it wouldn't fly in its intended direction.

"…But apparently… you've lost consciousness … Too bad…"

Finally, she saw one. A shuriken that wasn't broken.

"Die!"

In less than a second, Kim dove in to grab the weapon, aimed, and threw it. She cut her fingers in the process, but she'd rather have a bleeding finger than Val's bleeding throat. She only hoped and prayed that it would reach him in time.

However, the oncoming wind of the weapon caught the attention of the attacker, and the star-shaped weapon was sliced in half with the spear he still held. At the same time, he released Val, who lifelessly fell to the ground in a mangled heap. He was completely unconscious.

The attacker shook his head. "Idiot…" referring to Kim. Then, he chose to release his cloak and remove himself from the shadows. He chose to reveal himself to Kim.

He was anything but a pretty sight. His entire face, his hands, and toes, all brown hair. Hairy fingers, long hair bangs that went past his shoulder, hairy feet. Other than dark brown skin on his face, wrinkled and filthy, the only other visible areas of skin were his fingers. He also possessed red eyes. But in light of this disgusting appearance, armed with a fancy long spear, he wore a black and green Chinese robe with a dragon design on it. Forget Kim's closet, this was hardcore expensive.

And he was pissed off. You didn't need to look at those threatening red eyes of his to see this, nor his clenched teeth and fists. Just seeing Kim, he was already breathing loudly, almost growling like an animal. A monster, some kind of biological genetic mutation.

But Kim knew what this was.

Everything in her blood went cold as she recognized him. 

"Ron…?"


	12. 11: Shedding Tears for a Lost Heart

Warning: One: Not the happiest chapter, but take note: By the end of this story everything will be returned to normal. Second: This chapter didn't turn out the way I wanted at all, and for one reason: What I intended to be only the _beginning_ of the chapter, turned out to be the _entire_ chapter. I got carried away again, what else is new? So I've remedied this with a double upload.

**Chapter 11: Shedding Tears for a Lost Deranged Heart**

**

* * *

**Hair that grew throughout his body. Crimson red eyes. A grave voice with deep breathing that could scare away even the fiercest of all animals.

"Kim… I was hoping we'd never meet again…"

Her voice was trembling. Shaking. She could barely say his name. "Ron… you… you're alive…"

Other than the slight breeze of the wind, there was complete silence. The city was completely lit by the sunset, illuminated in orange light. The only thing that didn't seem to be affected was Kim's hair. But he was quiet, until he suddenly pulled out his weapon only to put it away, to secure it on his back. He only took a few steps forward, but kept his distance from Kim.

Was the hunt really over?

"'Ron'… Heh…" he finally responded, "that's what some people _used_ to call me…"

Kim wanted answers, even those he couldn't provide. "Ron, what… _happened_ to you?"

Ron looked at himself, lifting his hands so he could see them and keep Kim within his vision. "Peh… so you've noticed, haven't you? That's just like you, Kim, always judging by appearance…"

"I am so not judging by appearance! Ron… who did this to you? Was this why you left? Why didn't you say anything? Why didn't you leave a note or some kind of message? Why didn't you call? For six long months I've been worried sick over you, I… I didn't even know if you were still alive! Why didn't you talk to me about it?" By the time Kim was done, she was already in tears.

Unlike him. "No one did this to me…" he grimly replied, "Hell, I don't even know why it happened. It just did. No matter how many times I shaved it off, it kept coming back. I don't even know what it is. Didn't even want to know how you'd react if you found out, but I suppose it couldn't be avoided…"

Kim couldn't give herself the time to think about it. She was far too focused on just the fact that she found him. "So _that_ was why you ran away? Ron, you should have told me _something_! Wade probably could have figured out some way to stop it, some way to cure it!"

He only shook his head. "No… What was the point…? What was the point if it was all over between us anyway…?"

"What do you mean?"

Ron grabbed his spear again and threw it straight to the ground. It stuck out at a perfect 90 degree angle. "Oh, come on!" he yelled. "I remember word for word what you said that night, Kim. 'We need to talk.' Don't think I didn't know anything back then, I know what that means. The relationship was over. You were going to end it. What was the point of staying? So you could introduce me to your new boyfriend a few months later? Tell your friends how much of a jerk I've been? Call your friends and tell them how disappointing I was in a 'man'?"

"I wasn't going to break things off between us! No! Look, I was worried about us! Things hadn't been going well with the relic hunt and my injury, but you were going through so many problems, and most you never talked to me about! Work, school, life, what? You were depressed about something, but you always hid it. You always got angry even to the point where you took your anger out on me!"

"I guess we have that in common, don't we?"

Kim groaned. "Ron, listen. Okay, you're right, there were a few times where I got angry at you when I shouldn't have…"

"A 'few' is one _hell_ of an understatement, Kim. It happened more often than you'd like to acknowledge."

She sighed. "You're right, I did take my frustrations out on you and blamed you on things that weren't your fault. You're absolutely right. But I had no intention of dumping you and calling it quits! I was so worried about you! I didn't say 'We need to talk' because it was high school lingo, I mean, we're not even in high school anymore!"

"So Kim has actually snapped out of high school thinking? That's impressive…" he sarcastically taunted.

"Ron, please, I'm begging you to hear me out… We needed to talk about where we were going, what was happening. I wasn't going to just yell at you for hours, I wanted to have a serious talk about what was happening to you. I wanted to know what you were suffering from, I wanted to know what problems you were having. You hid so much from me, Ron. Were things really so bad that you wanted to start drinking? Why didn't you ever talk to me about these? But I also wanted your input. Yes, I was going to tell you what was wrong about the relationship, but I wanted your input, too!"

"Just so you can deny things over and over like you always have, and make me feel like the stupid and guilty one? No matter what I said, you always turned things around so I was the one at fault. No, never you… never little miss perfect…"

"Ron, what are you talking about? I've cut the denial since we graduated! I know I'm not perfect, and I've said sorry more times than I did before we started going out! I've said sorry more times than I ever did in the first seventeen years of my whole life!"

"Even that didn't stop you… Don't think I was unaware of how you got information at Upperton…"

"Ron, what _are_ you talking about?"

"You constantly asked couples over and over what they did in their love life, and you always tried to make me do what they did! Specific movies, special dinners, dancing, every romantic fantasy anyone can dream of, and you came home telling me you had a great idea. You didn't think of those ideas yourself, Kim."

Kim couldn't form a word for that one.

"And no matter how hard I tried, Kim, I couldn't please you. You always wanted things to be more romantic, and no matter what I did, no matter how perfect they were, you weren't impressed. You were always disappointed. You had such _high_ unbelievable expectations on a romantic night, and no matter how good things were, I couldn't deliver. Oh, it wouldn't be so bad if it was every now and then, but I couldn't sweep you off your feet on _EVERY…__SINGLE_ date."

"But Ron, you were so passionless, you were bored, it wasn't like you cared at all! I didn't even know if you loved me anymore…"

"Oh please, I only got like that when I got sick and tired of you complaining on the ride back home, when I got sick and tied of you treating me like the bottom of the food chain, when I got sick and tired of you constantly comparing me to every pretty boy, smooth operator, and everything else you looked for in an ideal guy. The looks, the muscles, the cars and motorbikes, even that bad boy dirty personality! Hell, if Erik weren't dead, I'd tell you go to back to his sorry ass!"

"Ron, how on earth can you say that? Look, I told you sometimes I was moody… we talked about it… privately… there's no need to talk about it here. But I've told you over and over again, I'm not like that anymore! The world's full of pretty faces, but there's only one Ron Stoppable, the only guy who would go to hell and back for me… and the only guy I'd do the same for… You knew that…"

"It didn't mean anything when you weren't lifted off your feet every night, disappointed out of your mind. And don't make it sound like it was just after V-Day and the relic hunt. You were like that even before the Bay City incident, before the Circle of Blood incident, and even before the relic hunt. The _entire_ relationship, you were like that! And the entire relationship, I did nothing, and I… mean… NOTHING but try to please you. I tried to become a better person, more mature, less goofy, all to please you!"

Kim advanced towards him. "Ron, there was absolutely no need for that! You didn't need to change completely to please me! I fell for you because of who you already were! Yes, you became more confident that night, you weren't afraid of anything, and you even had the courage to tell me your feelings, risking the chance that I'd even reject you. I know how rejection's like, Ron. Even though when I asked some other boys out and they said no, I said it was so not the drama. But the truth was, sometimes I'd go up into my room and cry about it when no one was around! I know the fear of rejection but I totally hid it. But you still told me your feelings, risking our entire friendship for it, and I know how much it meant to you! I didn't fall in love with you because I thought you'd change into a completely person for me, I fell for you because of who you already were! Yes, you could make me laugh, yes, you could cheer me up, always snap me out of a bad mood, but it was because of who you were _deep inside_!"

"Tell me something I don't know, Kim. I _know_ why we got together in the first place. You told me over and over that it wasn't a rebound from Erik and that it wasn't about making Bonnie eat her words… but come on, I know how you are with denial, so of course I wasn't going to believe it."

"What are you talking abo-"

"I know you kept hiding it, Kim. You said you loved me everyday, but in public you were always embarrassed and ashamed of me, so that's why I tried to take things more seriously… and that's when you started to take _me_ more seriously… but even that wasn't good enough."

"But that didn't mean you had to change _completely_! Yes, that one kiss changed both of us… You were turning into a man, and I realized a lot more things about me than before… but Ron, you didn't have to go out of your way to become someone you weren't! You were trying too hard, to the point where you acted mean, even when I got in that accident! You never visited, not even once when I was in that hospital bed. I was all alone in there, while the real Ron I fell for would have come every day… the Ron I know is still in there somewhere."

Ron shook his head as he pulled his spear from the ground. "Sorry, Kim. But the old Ron you knew is gone. Other than the way I look… No longer am I the buffoon that no one took seriously, the food junkie who'd make you lose your appetite on just about every date, the joker who constantly messed up, and I sure as hell am no longer the sidekick you'd constantly lecture and yell at. Here I am treated with more respect. Now that I don't have someone like you holding me back, I'm able to do so much more! I can actually exercise my abilities, do what I want and what needs to be done without you being the chattering nanny, and I don't have you constantly blame things on me and yell at me as you had been doing for damn well over a year!"

Kim couldn't keep eye contact with him anymore. "Ron… I'm sorry. I am _so_ sorry…"

He quickly growled. "You have regrets? WHAT DO I CARE?"

"Ron… I'm begging you. Come home! Let me help… I've always helped, Ron. This isn't going to be any different. Please. I want to make things right."

"If you want to make things right, Kim, then go. Go away and never come back. Go and find someone else…"

"But Ron-"

"I already have."

Kim's eyes widened with shock. "W… What? Who… when…?"

"I'm sure you've already met her…"

Uso slowly came back into the court, interrupting the conversation. "Dammit, Ron. I leave you alone for a few minutes and you're already causing too much bloodshed! This is why I didn't want you to come out today… You're going to get noticed!"

Ron kept his eyes on Kim. "It's already a bit too late for that now, isn't it?"

Kim sighed, but her voice was trembling more than ever. "I guess… guess…" Unable to finish her sentence, she fell onto her knees.

Melissa shook her head. "Guess she knows about us, huh?"

Kim tried to say something, but nothing but dumbfounded and incredulous gibberish came out of her mouth.

Ron took a few steps forward. "You see, Kim, Missy doesn't ask for much, if anything. In fact, she actually treats me with a _lot_ of respect. She doesn't look down on me… she doesn't always boss me around. She treats me as an equal, something you said you would do, but never did. Sure, she doesn't like me to go outside because she actually realizes how powerful I am. She lets me do what I need to do and doesn't give me a hard time about anything at all. I can actually feel good about myself now. Not much in the romance department, if anything, but I at least feel comfortable about myself around her!"

"But… But Ron… I never officially broke things off…"

"You didn't? Well, now I am. We're through. We're done. It's over."

The one piece of jewelry Ron was wearing was a relationship ring on his right index finger. He slowly took it off, having a hard time with the hair in the way, and tossed it straight toward Kim. It bounced off her forehead before it fell in front of her.

"Consider yourself dumped."

A few tears strolled down Kim's face, but she lifted her head with a defiant look in her eyes. "You're not the Ron I fell in love with… Even if what you said was true about us, you wouldn't become like this at all… I'm not going to give up on you. Not ever. Tell me to leave all you want… but until I find out what is wrong with you… and cure you… I'm going to hunt you down to the ends of the earth… this isn't you."

Ron laughed. "I was born to become the world's greatest martial artist… and now that I'm ready to take on the world, I'm going to make a name for myself. I'm going to be the top of the food chain, I'm going to be respected, I'm going to be feared, and no one can stop me! This is who I am! You on the other hand might need some soul searching…"

Kim wiped the tears from her eyes. "Ron… I… I-I can't live without you."

"I can see that considering how terrible you look, but that's not my problem. You wanted so much out of me and you got it, and it still wasn't enough. Find someone else who can fulfill all those impossible romantic fantasies of yours, and leave me alone. You can get dates, that's what you told me a long time ago, so go find someone. Drool at boys as you always have… Just beat it… Go away. Go home. I'm not Ron Stoppable anymore…"

Finally, he turned his back on her and walked out of there.

But Kim refused to stay in one place. "Ron!"

Suddenly, she found the sharp edges of his spear on her neck. It was a double-bladed weapon, with both blades rounded and curved, one bigger than the other. Her neck fit perfectly in between them.

"Don't follow me," he demanded. "And if I ever see you again, make no mistake, I _will_ kill you."

Suddenly, he thrusted the weapon forward. It wasn't hard enough to cut her open, but it knocked her down on the ground pretty hard.

"Come on, Missy… let's go."

Ron walked out of the alley, but Melissa didn't immediately follow. She looked at Kim, who refused to pick herself up. "See ya."

"You…" Kim growled, finding reason to get up. "I'm going to find out _what_ you are… I don't care if Ron says he's going out with you, I'm goi-"

Kim didn't even finish before she rushed towards the other girl, ready to rip her head off. But in less than half a second, Ron came back into the alley, grabbed her hand, and slammed her straight into the ground, so hard that she demolished the pavement she was on. The sand everywhere else was sent flying, almost like a smoke bomb had gone off.

"Don't… _ever_ touch her…" Ron threatened, "or else you're going to wind up like your friend Val over there…"

Kim could only see the orange colors of the sky, but she couldn't move. She heard Ron walking out, this time for good. However, her vision suddenly went purple with a blur.

"You know, you should probably be more concerned with him anyway, unless you could care less whether he lives or dies," Melissa softly informed her. "In the state that he's in, he's not going to be alive much longer. It's either him or us. The choice is yours."

"Missy!" a grim voice hollered.

"Coming!" she yelled, then turned to Kim again. "And to think you're the legendary Kim Possible. How disappointing…"

If Kim could get up, she'd still choke the girl and rip her apart, but she could barely move. Melissa got up and quickly followed Ron. For some reason, the blow wasn't as painful as Kim thought it would be, but her body was still unresponsive. It took her a few seconds to get her head up, and by then Ron and Missy were long gone. She tried to get up, but a fierce pain ran through her entire body, almost enough to make her scream. She hit the ground again, but managed to get onto her belly despite the immense pain. Instead of going after the other two, however, she crawled with her elbows towards Val's crumpled body.

He wasn't breathing, but was farther than she anticipated, and trying to crawl past his weapons wasn't easy.

It was incredible now that she was able to focus on it. He was right on what he said earlier, this arsenal would put armories to shame. Swords, sai, staffs, needles, knives, nunchucks, chains, shurikens, a Mongolian Longbow, daggers. Arrows with wooden tips, steel tips and even explosive tips. Chaff, smoke, flash, frag, and grenades that would result in hallucination. C4 plastic explosives, claymore mines, and some explosives with the word "napalm" on them. Thermal, infrared, x-day, night vision, and sound binoculars (none of which were destroyed). Handheld metal, mine, sound and movement detectors. And not one of each, either. For the bigger weapons, at least two, and for the handheld projectile weapons, perhaps twenty or thirty of each. But among the common soldier and ninja weapons, many also appeared to be stolen directly from GJ's best agents. Two of the beam tongfers he used long ago, tasers, various ray guns, grappling cords and wrist beams, but most were taken apart. However, they weren't taken apart from the recent battle. They were taken apart with care, as if Val had taken them apart himself, probably using the power cells for something else.

Weapons weren't all he carried, and fortunately for him, only the lethal weapons he carried were destroyed. All kinds of portable medical supplies and first aid kits were also scattered throughout the court, and they weren't the Wal-Mart kind. They were completely unharmed due of their protective covering. Many of the actual kits were the size of a Japanese cell phone, so Kim managed to pick up a few on her way. Also, every food item that Val carried, sodas, water, juices, fruits and several food rations, were also unharmed, also protected. Kim crawled past a few water bottles and grabbed as many as she could.

How the heck did he carry all of these in his jacket? And considering the fact that he carried all of these during the plant fight, why didn't it affect his speed and agility? Maybe it did… and he was _still_ fast as lightning.

Finally, she was able to get onto her knees when she got to him. It wasn't a pretty sight, since almost all of Val's face was just red. One could argue that he was _more_ red than Kim was when she was assaulted by both Motor Ed and Drakken at Planet Tool. Yet, Kim didn't see many cuts on him. She expected for him to be ripped apart by the spear Ron held, and whatever cuts he suffered weren't serious. He was breathing when Ron beat him, but when did he stop?

Val still had a pulse, a rather decent one, really. But if she couldn't get the blood clogging his throat out, he was a goner, especially if she couldn't wake him up. She first started out by opening the water bottle and pouring it all over his face. The blood was a lot thicker than she thought. She had to use two to clean the blood from his face, but he still didn't wake up. She tried the Heimlich maneuver, but that didn't work. She was still slightly injured and didn't have the strength in her arms to do it right.

Looked like she had to resort to drastic measures.

She slapped his face around, nothing. Poured some water up his nose. Didn't work. Opened one of his eyelids and pointed a sharp weapon south of his belly button, hoping he'd see it. Nada. Tried tickling him. Nope. And without thinking, she got up on her feet and delivered the hardest soccer ball kick she could to his gut.

The result? A huge baseball-sized chunk of clotted blood went flying past her ear.

Loud coughing and hacking soon followed. Val had finally woken up, but if the blood all over him wasn't bad enough, he was vomiting more of it. It was like Kim filled up a keg with black cherry Kool-Aid and slowly dumped out all out. More than worthy of a few blood donations, but it sure wasn't healthy.

He collapsed backward when he was done, facing the skies and feeling like hell all over. Realizing he was soaked in his own blood, he tore off his shirt. Four hand and fist-shaped bruises covered his body. Any more pressure and Ron would have cracked his ribs.

Yet, he burst out into complete laughter.

"Val?"

"I… should've known… the whole damn thing… was a setup… That's two people who know my name here… that I've never met…"

Kim's voice went shaky again. "Val… that… that was Ron…"

He coughed terribly. "_That_ was Ron? … makes a lot more sense now…"

"It doesn't matter… he actually broke it off… he went with that girl… he… threatened to kill me… But… was I really that bad? I mean, I did have expectations, but… did I really ask for so much…? So much that it made him feel worse about himself?"

Unfortunately for Kim, everything was starting to sink in, now that he left again. She found Ron, but it wasn't what she expected. Perhaps she didn't expect a happy reunion, as the thought never came to mind, but for some reason she thought that he was being held captive by someone. Yet, here he was, a hateful and brutal martial arts demigod armed with a spear and with the appearance of an animal. Yet, not of any specific kind. Even if she was considered dumped, she wasn't going to stop just now. She was going to find out what was wrong with him, and cure him if there was a way.

And if there wasn't a cure, she'd spend the rest of her life developing one. Boyfriend or not, this wasn't over.

But it wasn't his appearance and condition that bothered her so much. She didn't want to be a liar and say that she could still be in love with him with that appearance, even if he was the same jolly ol' Ron she knew for ages. She just couldn't bring herself to say that, sadly. It just wouldn't be the same. But she knew something was wrong, but couldn't put her finger on it. Mutation? From what?

No. While the way he looked was a matter worthy of concern, it was everything he told her. Normally, she would have thought that perhaps Ron was under some kind of mind control, knowing how out of character he was. Maybe someone ripped off Val's technology and methods. Was he being controlled? Was Missy Uso behind it? Perhaps she was working for someone and they were behind it. While Val proved to her in the past that mind control could be a brutal weapon, it was one with serious limitations.

It wasn't a possibility, and for one reason: There was a lot of truth in what Ron had said, and those details were things only he knew. He and him alone. At least in the past, you could control someone, but not get into their head and read their memories.

It was really him. All him. No gimmicks. No technology.

She did have a lot of expectations. She did want every date to be as romantic as Prom or Valentines, but sometimes things wouldn't go as planned. It wasn't easy to please her, either. Most people who knew Kim knew that it was hard to impress her, with the exception of Club Banana outfits, but romance wasn't any different. Sometimes Ron would do some silly things, and she wouldn't make much of it. Sometimes she would barely notice if he bought her flowers or a new outfit. Unfortunately for Ron, he didn't always hit the mark. When he did, it caught Kim pleasantly by surprise, only because of the fact that he often didn't hit the mark. Two out of ten times he would, and it wasn't because he didn't know his girlfriend. It was just that sometimes her tastes changed in fashion. Bueno Nacho wasn't exactly a romantic dinner either. A perfect romantic day and night was actually rare, contrary to what people normally thought.

But he was right about Kim going to other people. Sometimes she saw couples that talked about romantic nights she only dreamed of, and wanted to experience it for herself. She wasn't aiming for exact, but similar. It did get to the point where dates and dinners were more important than the person she loved, and she would deny that even now. She always thought, 'Why couldn't we be that romantic?'

Just as he said, all of it happened long before he started changing. But did he change so radically all because of her? He wasn't entirely at fault for changing; she did have some role in it. Then she realized, when she got injured with broken bones and landed in a hospital bed, he was rather cold to her. Fair trade; Ron often got injured during the hunt for the relics, and she would tell him to stop whining. It was usually Ron who got injured during those, and since Kim wasn't the one in pain, and used to the fact Ron used to complain often back in the high school days, she didn't take him seriously. It also didn't help that she was bent on stopping Val.

Even Kim Possible wasn't the perfect girlfriend, and she felt miserable for it. Just thinking about it, nothing but regret and guilt filled her mind. She was overreacting, however, in thinking that maybe she didn't deserve to be forgiven. He was cold and cruel, and yet, a lot of times she was no different. Maybe she wasn't as bad, but she definitely did it a lot more. Maybe they were equal in that department.

"How…" Val coughed, "How could that have been Ron? How… on earth did you recognize him?"

Kim sighed. "When you know someone all your life, you kind of see these things. Not the first time I've seen Ron covered in brown and recognized him, even if those were obvious."

Val coughed again, throwing up more to his side. Kim wasn't exactly a fan of the stench of blood, but it felt so awkward seeing someone like Val in this condition. She grabbed another water bottle and poured it on his face, most into his mouth. It helped.

"Why…?" he asked.

"Why what?"

Nothing but orange filled his blurry vision. Kim's hair really merged with the sunset skies. "You… you could have gone after him and left me for dead… My services were no longer required… and I thought you were waiting for this day… for someone or something to kill me… You got what you wanted out of me… yet you came back… Why?"

Kim lightly smiled as she poured more water into his mouth. "It's a hero thing. It's what I do. It's… it's the least I can do after you delivered on your promise… I never thought we'd actually find him. Here I was thinking maybe you knew where he was the whole time and led me into a trap."

"Right… like I'd actually have him take me to school and nearly kill me…"

"I realize that, but… you delivered. You actually helped me find him. No matter what we did, for six months we couldn't find him, and thanks to you, I know he's still alive. I wasn't sure if I could believe you… Besides, like you said, people don't stop running until they know they're not being chased after. No doubt I'd never catch up to him if I went after him. And I wouldn't forgive myself if someone died because of another stupid decision I made. I save people, Val. You know that. I couldn't let him kill you, or anyone for that matter."

Val smiled as he spit out the last of his blood clots. "You're a doll, Kim… I suppose we'll never be even as long as you keep saving my life, huh? But I suppose your work here is done… I'll be fine…"

"There's no point in going after him…" she replied dimly, "He was right about everything he said. I-I… I'm terrible… I am _so_ terrible… I thought I was the one who was tolerating him… but maybe he was the one who was tolerating me…"

"Snap out of it…" he tried to yell, but held back by the pain throughout his body, "Kim… he… he's possessed… He's completely possessed."

"No, he was right. Mind control is just that, it takes control of your mind and senses. You can't read thoughts. No, what Ron said are things only he knows. Maybe it changed his appearance, I don't know, but mentally, he's not possessed."

Val managed to get on his knees, using his only arm to pick himself up. "You didn't get your ass kicked by him to find that out, did you now?"

Kim could only stare at him. "I'm listening."

"The appearance is a given, maybe that voice of his, and maybe his eyes. But that wasn't him inside. I know just as much as you that that wasn't him…"

"Then what is it?"

"Kim, it's his mystical monkey powers… it's influencing his thoughts… among other things…"

It wasn't fun to see a one-armed person almost fall back to the ground, especially when you were in a state of disbelief.

"You're telling me his mystical monkey powers are causing his hatred? How can that be? Those powers can _only_ be used for good!"

"In case you forgot, he tried to _kill_ me."

Kim cleared her throat. "Well, not that Ron was the vengeful type, but considering all the stuff you did to him in the past…"

"I warrant that… but Kim, he didn't just try to kill me… those… those skills… that speed… Those weren't ordinary moves, Kim… Those were _forbidden_ techniques… techniques that can't be learned even today!"

"You're sure…?"

"Yes… those moves weren't designed to fight an opponent… those were designed specifically to kill and only to kill… and _still_ in the style of Tai Shing Pek Kwar, among Tiger Swallow and Mantis…"

The mention of styles had Kim curious. "Val… what exactly did he do to you?"

He still couldn't get up. "He swung that spear of his around no faster than helicopter blades a few times, but that was nothing more than a distraction. I take the blow with my left arm, and next thing I know I'm being bombarded with hits I can't see, all so powerful that each blow had blood spraying out of my mouth. He knew I was blinded by it and used it against me, and in desperation I tried to attack him with every weapon I had. But all it took was four hits, all with the same hand… You can see the bruises for yourself how powerful those blows were."

Four moves took him out, and Ron never released his spear.

Kim still couldn't believe it. An expert on hardware technology, a master of several styles of martial arts, one who knew hundreds of government secrets and with the tactical skills of an elite soldier, those who knew Val feared him. No matter what you threw in his way, it didn't do anything to him. He could take on large scale weapons like tanks and helicopters easily. Most people who fought him were knocked out almost instantly, but those skilled in martial arts usually lasted a little longer, with moves that did next to nothing to him.

Valia Ryan was the most powerful living force on the planet, and yet Ron, the buffoon who wasn't feared by anyone, almost killed him in less than a few seconds.

People knew that Val was brutal, relentless and sometimes merciless in battle, and if he ever turned truly evil again, he would be a threat to be reckoned with. But he wasn't out of control.

Ron on the other hand, was.

Sure, he had someone like Melissa, who Kim still wasn't convinced was his actual girlfriend, hold him back for six months so he wouldn't be discovered. But now he was an animal unleashed, and since this Ron was no different than the old Ron when it came to big-headyness, he was going to exercise those abilities any way he can. Val was just his first victim, and no doubt more would follow. The girl couldn't keep him retained for long, whoever she really was.

But was Val right? Was it really the MMP doing this to him? Whether or not it was, he already had one conclusion, based on the legends:

Ron Stoppable was the ultimate monkey master, and he was unstoppable.

"He's a weapon…" Kim said quietly in thought.

"_So now you realize… the _true_ potential… of the MYSTICAL… MONKEY… **POWERS**!"_ an excited yet familiar voice cried, followed by hysterical laughing.

It wasn't long before the entrance of the court was surrounded by at least twenty ninjas, but as one would expect, these weren't ordinary ninjas. These ones were small and had tails.

Kim groaned when she realized who it was. Whenever there were monkey powers involved, soon to follow was none other than…

"Monkey Fist…"

Almost like Kim had said a hidden command, the monkeys all got into fighting stances as their master slowly emerged from the darkness of the entryway. However, he was calm, standing upright for once.

"Do not engage, my monkey ninjas… We are not here to fight."

An expected appearance, but not quite. Like Ron, he too appeared to be much different than the last time Kim saw him. It was nowhere near as drastic as Ron's transformation or mutation, however. Instead, he appeared to have aged quite a bit with gray hair all over. Because of this, he shared a similar appearance to the greatest of all martial arts masters. No doubt he took extreme pride in this.

Val could barely see who it was, but Kim managed to get on her feet.

"I wish I could say I was surprised to see you here, but you are so predictable…" were the first words that popped out of her mouth, "So you knew… You know what's going on with him…"

"Yes…" he spoke slowly, "I've been watching Ron Stoppable ever since he first arrived here. I first thought that perhaps you two managed to track me down for no reason at all, not the first time that has happened. However, I noticed his rather… _aggressive_ behavior towards anyone who stepped foot in front of him… all except one girl, the one with the purple hair, who he saved from a group of kidnappers some time back. Since then she's been following him around, doing what she could to hide him from the public eye. I'm not sure where she kept him or his pet, but she provided him with everything to survive in solitude. However, she did allow him to train outdoors when no one was watching, where she learned to fight as well. Once I was convinced he didn't come here for me, I spied on him, and my, have his skills grown _magnificently_ throughout the last six months… Deadly, powerful… and once he started to show superb skills, that's when the physical transformation began."

"You had nothing to do with it?"

"Absolutely not, and why would I? For nearly six months I watched as the powers within him had evolved, learning Tai Shing Pek Kwar's _hundreds_ of forms, most lost with the death of masters who refused to share their knowledge with students, afraid of the very power they wielded! Yet Stoppable learned them all… Techniques so powerful that they were banned by leaders of the time! Emperors and kings! I watched as the mere buffoon evolved into a demigod, the true ultimate monkey master!" he stopped to sigh, exhausting his excitement with it. "However, the entire time he had no sparring opponent, no one to test his abilities on… no one to prove his worth… until he learned that his girlfriend was being stalked by two children… and among them, the feared… _Legion_…" There was plenty of venom with mention of the last word.

Kim looked back to Val, who could still barely move, but he was glaring at their guest.

"And my…" Fist continued, observing the junk-infested court, "What a mess… my kind of mess… Yes… even proving to be more powerful… _stronger_… _faster_… than him, armed only with a spear he made by himself, one that cannot be wielded by common practitioners of martial arts… and he was able to destroy all of Ryan's many weapons with it… Yes, _this_ is the true power of monkey kung fu… No, this is the true power of _kung fu itself!"_ And again, he went into hysterical laughter. "And now I know…"

Kim noticed that he was starting to slowly step back, and his monkey ninjas were getting closer to him.

"I'll be keeping a close eye on Stoppable… and when he reaches the true potential of his abilities… I will kill him and take his powers as my own! Those powers will soon be MINE!"

Kim wasn't impressed. "Right, like you can beat him."

"Who ever said anything about fighting him?" he asked. "I will find a way to seize those powers of his… and there is absolutely nothing you can do about it, Kim Possible! Monkey ninjas, fall back!"

Before Kim could attempt to do anything, he and the ninjas released smoke bombs that filled the entire place. The smoke only lasted for about three seconds, but all traces of Fiske and his followers were nonexistent when it cleared.

"Let him go…" Val weakly spoke, finally getting up, but only to lose his balance.

Kim grabbed him before he fell. "Don't even try to walk. You're not in good shape."

He lightly shoved her aside and got back on his feet. He was a little dizzy, but after a while he was able to maintain his balance. "Maybe not, but I can still hold my own…

So much for the hospital.

"Are you going to be okay?" he faintly asked.

Kim had a dim look in her eyes. "I need a moment alone."

"Sure…"

With uncertainty, Val went to pick up every useless weapon and dispose of them while Kim tried to grasp the situation. While she still needed some alone time, still dwelling on Ron's words, she tried to make sense of it all. Monkey Fist, Melissa Uso, Ron Stoppable. She didn't believe Missy was involved with Fist, but she was still suspicious. Kim refused to believe that she was Ron's actual girlfriend and just the thought of him kissing her… her thoughts just cracked. Yet, something inside her, probably a gut feeling, told her this wasn't the case.

One phrase kept repeating in her head. _'Not much in the romance department, if anything.'_

If she found out Ron really did kiss her when this was all over, quite frankly, Kim was going to kick his ass. Probably not the right thing to think in this situation, especially when Val was done tossing his many weapons into a dumpster nearby. Maybe it was the mystical monkey powers that was doing this to Ron. But if that was the truth, something about this stunk, and it wasn't the monkeys, either.

"If Ron really is the ultimate monkey master, those ninjas would be following _him_, not Fist…" she thought aloud.

"That doesn't change anything, Kim," Val replied as he put his non-lethal items in his jacket. "You know what he is now, and you know what must be done…"

Kim sighed. "I have to fight him… to stop him… But I need your help again. I can't do this alone."

"I will do no such thing," he quickly remarked as he put his coat on and made way to the exit.

Kim blinked repeatedly. "What?" She was forced to go after him.

"There is only one reason I will not help you – this is not my fight."

"But Ron completely whooped you! Don't you want some payback?"

"Absolutely not. I have no concern over the food chain or where I rank among fighters, or a winning streak for that matter. There's only one person on the planet who is capable of stopping him, Kim – You."

"Are you kidding? I-I can't take him on all by myself!"

"I don't blame your lack of confidence, but contrary to what you may believe; power does _not_ come in numbers! I will _not_ help you fight him. This is something you must do on your own, but not now, not if you allow yourself to be affected by his words, and you are still not at the top of your game. You've gotten better since we last fought, but you still do not have what it takes to take him on. But you won't stand a second against him if you keep on relying on the help of others, either. Yes, it's too dangerous for you to take him on all by yourself…"

"I got like this because he was gone, and now I have to fight him and win. You really believe I can…?"

"You can because you have no other choice. This is your fight, something you must do… alone. Besides, I'm not the one you should be asking."

Kim rubbed her head. She was afraid. She was actually afraid. She could barely take any of the words Ron had said, and now she knew she had to fight him, the most dangerous human being on the planet. She had to fight him a few times before, but mind control was a factor. This wasn't the case. He might have been possessed, but it was still him.

"I don't even know where he's going. Do you have any… wait a minute…" Without warning, she grabbed Val by the neck with one hand, pulling out his necklace with the other. "Aha, so there _were_ twelve relics!"

He released himself from her grip. "Yes. Twelve."

"And I have a feeling Monkey Fist was somehow involved… I saw the way you looked at each other…"

Val groaned. "We've had a few run-ins in the past. He mistook four of these for… _something_ they weren't designed for, and by the time I discovered them, so did he."

"Probably some way to unlock another monkey demon, knowing him. Let me guess, you fought him for each of them?"

"No. He caught me in the act, but instead of letting his ninjas fight me, he wanted to challenge me himself. But when he was done showing off his moves in an effort to intimidate me, I was out of the country. He did it every single time, too."

"I see…" Kim plainly replied, not catching his exaggerated joke. "I was about to ask where the next Genesis chamber was, but really, you needed four just to open the door… why do you need twelve?"

"They unlock all kinds of secrets to the world, Kim. And stop looking at me like that. You look at me like I have them for no reason."

"Well, reason or not, I can't condone stealing."

He shook his head as he chuckled. "These are keys, Kim, not just plain prehistoric pieces of rock. These don't belong in a place where the public can see them. Stealing usually dictates ownership, and if anything, the museums were the real thieves. If you knew how these were acquired, how many explorers killed their partners to acquire these, only for the money, and how even the survivors got screwed over… you'd know. Besides, if not for these, we wouldn't be here, and you'd probably still be hunting for Ron."

"Good point…" she admitted.

Eight of the twelve were stored in museums, while the other four were in temples. However, the four were in temples that weren't on any map, only to suddenly appear with the discovery of specific keys. Such an example includes the island that mysteriously emerged from the waters, the appearance of the last relic. Kim thought it was the 8th one when it was really the 12th one, and it only appeared after Val took the 11th one.

"But back to my original question…" she continued, "Where's the next Genesis chamber going to be? Or do you have to search for that, too?"

He chuckled with a smile. "That won't be necessary."

A skeptical yet curious curve formed in her eyebrows. "Do tell."

Val pulled out the one device that didn't escape his jacket.

* * *

"Wait, why do we have to leave the country?"

"I know her. She's not going to stop following us. Here."

Ron tossed a huge bag at Melissa that almost crashed down on her.

"Get Rufus and anything we really need," he instructed, "We were good for six months, and we can avoid her for another…"

Melissa watched as Ron frantically went all over the room grabbing all kinds of other equipment, from weapons to other personal belongings.

"Geez, Ron. I haven't seen you this tense before. Is she really that big a problem, to leave the country?"

"I want her out of my life, and if I stick around here, so will she. I need to think of a place to go… not even somewhere you'd guess I'd be."

"Like Moscow?"

She suddenly found his nose on hers, glaring at her with hateful eyes. He quickly shot back and continued grabbing stuff.

"What?" she asked innocently, "Was I right or something?"

"I need to think of _another_ place to go…"

The girl only rolled her eyes. Yup. "Look, Ron. So you two have a rocky past… but why the hell did you tell her _I_ was your girlfriend?" She played along with it only because she feared him.

"Just to rub it in her face… Whenever she got a boyfriend she just _loved_ to shove it into mine. Let her see what it's like for once, and she bought it."

"Damn…" was all Melissa could say, "And to think you turned out the way you did because of her. But Ron, don't ever lie like that again. Saying someone is your girlfriend when they're not… that's not funny."

"Maybe not to you. And you're my protector. Best person to qualify as a fake girlfriend. And what do you care, anyway? You tried to kill her in Middleton."

"That was an assignment handed down to me by my superiors and is completely irrelevant!" she yelled with a resolute tone.

"The same ones that told you to watch over me?"

"I can't talk about it. Look, is this absolutely necessary?"

"If you don't want to come along, you can stay here all by yourself. You know more than enough now to defend yourself against Kowloon's worst."

Melissa groaned loudly. "_Fine_, I'm _going_."

Ron was packed with a backpack just as big as he was. "Next stop, Cancun."

She was ready to go, carrying Rufus' cage. "Mexico? Well, at least we won't get too much snow… I hope," she then sighed loudly, "Just when I was starting to get used to this place."

"This place is trash anyway," Ron retorted. "And shouldn't you make a checkup call from your 'superiors'?"

Melissa pulled out her cell phone. "Maybe…"

* * *

"A nano tracker?" Kim asked, looking at a small belt with a magnifier.

Val held it up with his hand. "If there's one thing I did right in our duel, that was it. Too small for the naked eye to see, and even if he did, it's almost impossible to take off."

"No way he's getting away for another six months… SPANKIN'!" she excitedly cried.

And with that excitement came total silence. A wolf could be heard howling along with an airplane flying above them. Total and absolute silence. When she looked at Val, she noticed he had a disturbed and puzzled look on his face.

"What? 'Spankin'?"

He didn't answer. He just puffed out a lot of breath and walked past her. "Nothing…"

Kim had gotten this response a few times from guys. "Hey! I know what you're thinking, Val! That is _so_ _not_ what it means!"

"I didn't say anything."

"Sicko. I saw that look in your eyes! Don't try to hide it!"

"Say what you will."

Kim crossed her arms. "And I thought you weren't like that."

"Who said I was?"

Kim just groaned loudly. "Never mind…"

Even he had his thoughts, but you'd never hear him admit it, not while he was alive, anyway.

* * *

If there was something frustrating about your boss calling, it was while you were piloting your jet and couldn't pick up the phone.

Shego finally managed. "What?"

"_I was just checking up on you…"_ Drakken simply answered.

"Okay, why does it sound like you're in an empty room? You're not actually moving out, are you? You didn't get lost in the cave maze again, right?"

"_No…"_ he answered, but he sounded extremely embarrassed.

It hit Shego harder than hitting your foot on the corner of the wall. "Oh, you have _got_ to be kidding me, you did NOT get your head stuck in a honey jar again!"

"…"

"…"

"_Maybe."_

Shego slapped her forehead. "Nice going, Winnie the Pooh. You see, Drakken, this is _exactly_ why I left you! You promised me world domination, and that's why I joined you. So many years later, I'm not convinced. You had everything, you had it all… except a brain. So what do you want me to do about it?"

"_A little help?"_

"… Fine, I'll be over there in an hour."


	13. 12: Teenage Misfortune

Another warning: We won't advance much in the plot in this chapter, if at all, a filler more than anything, but with some critical points as a hint of things to come. A few more things that entered my head when thinking of the story back in November, but this marks the end of the second act. Second flashback chapter after this, then onto... well, you might have to read the end of this one to find out.**  
**

**Chapter 12: Teenage Misfortune  
**

* * *

Contrary to what he had said, he wasn't entirely all right. Val might have been walking on his feet, but he was limping and constantly using the wall as leverage. Kim kept a close distance behind him just in case he fell on his face. He walked no differently than a drunk in an alley, going back and forth between the walls.

"Val, are you _sure_ you're all right?"

"No… but I won't get anywhere just sitting in one place."

"You have to stop. You've lost too much blood."

His head was moving in all kinds of directions. Had Kim been in front of him, she would have noticed that his eyes were, too. "I don't need your help… at least not with this…"

Kim sighed to herself. She knew where this was going, because she had to do it with Ron, and she fell victim to it, too. A fault of being stubborn. Deny the need for help and it'd come back and bite you in the…

"Hey, watch-"

She watched as he slipped on a rag on the ground, sending him flying back in the air. His head collided with a rusty metal pipe on the wall, hard enough to destroy the entire thing. It wasn't a pretty sight.

"…out." She couldn't help but wince, but she grabbed Val's only arm and dragged him back on his feet. "Take it easy, will you?"

He could only moan in pain, becoming less aware of what was happening by each second. Kim decided to lead him out of the alleyway maze. Not only was he a mess, but the stench of blood covered him from head to toe. Even though she washed most of the blood off his face and he threw his blood-soaked shirt in the trash, he still had a clotted nosebleed and small traces of blood was still coming out of his mouth.

And even the smallest bit of blood made her feel uncomfortable, especially when she no longer considered the one injured to be her enemy. It didn't take her long to realize that the moves Ron performed on Val weren't just bad strikes. They also affected his internal organs so that they would react badly later on. It wasn't a permanent affect, but Kim could have sworn she had seen it in some martial arts flick she saw sometime back.

And that's what the whole thing felt like, those martial arts movies where every fighter was superhuman. Sure, these were pieces of fictional fantasy, or were they? Many people believed these kinds of fighters truly existed a long time ago, and in time such warriors were lost in history. Of course, being in Hong Kong didn't really ease the feeling. And since Kim and Ron became movie buffs when they started dating (well, Ron anyway) and told her just about everything he knew about movies, she knew that neither he nor Val was Neo, and this was not the Matrix.

Kim couldn't help but look at her beaten comrade. His eyes were rolling all over the place, and he was slowly blinking. Ron did want to kill Val, and since he threatened he was going to kill her, too, she couldn't help but wonder what it would be like if she was in Val's position. What if he was the one helping her out of the alley? What if Ron beat her to a pulp? It wasn't an easy thought, the thought of having to fight him in the future, even if he was possessed. This wasn't going to be a simple take-over-the-world fight; it would be one to decide not only his fate, but hers.

Perchance kismet… it was inevitable.

By the time the two got of the alley, they found themselves in an unfamiliar area. It was a courtyard similar to the one where they encountered Ron earlier, but at least five were connected to each other. Also, they weren't empty. Children could be seen playing what appeared to be soccer with each other, while there were many food stands with fresh fruit. Other than that, a few people could be seen walking through. It wasn't exactly crowded.

"I need something to eat again…" Val quietly told Kim, gently releasing his arm from her.

"Go ahead," she softly replied.

At first she thought that it might have been a bad idea to let Val, a bloody one-armed teen in a ripped leather jacket with the stench of blood, be seen in his condition. She watched quietly as he limped his way towards one of the fruit stands, one where the girl selling them was one probably younger than she was. There was reason he picked this one out over the others, and it wasn't because the girl was a pretty one. Not only did she have the most fruit, but they were all fresh, perhaps carefully. Either she or a family member was an herbalist.

However, she wasn't scared or mortified of him at all. She wasn't exactly all calm, but it looked like she had seen worse, maybe the works of The Crows. Kim just continued to watch as Val attempted to look for something specific, but he was interrupted by the girl behind the counter. At first it appeared as if she was telling him what was new and fresh, since Kim didn't understand the language she was speaking, but she soon realized Val and the girl broke out into conversation. It was a brief one, however, and the girl not only gave him several of delicious-looking different-colored fruits for a small price, but several herbs and tonics as well, all of which weren't for display. It appeared to be a generous gesture to help his condition.

It would've been a crime not to tip her, and he did. The girl actually gasped at the amount and thanked him frantically.

Instead of putting it all in his coat, he got a bag for everything. Still a little shaky, he walked toward a bench close to where Kim was standing and took a load off. She decided to sit down as well, with the bag of fruit separating them.

"So what happened?" she curiously asked.

He had to clear his throat before he could answer. "I'm surprised she didn't freak out by my condition… however, she said her father also doesn't have a left arm, and she's seen how badly people were beaten by that gang Melissa takes on. Even though I only asked for one kind of fruit, one that's usually picked out at the end of summer, she gave me that and more, and wished me well. Considering her father can only support his family by picking herbs, how could I not repay her? A bit much, though."

Kim noticed something radically different. His eyes were pure blue, no longer the pale color most recognized him by. "Nothing wrong with that."

"Of course." He then grabbed a small fruit from his bag and offered it to Kim. "Want some?"

"Oh," she answered in surprise. "Sure. Wait, is this what I think it is? Longan?"

"Long yan rou…"

"Euphoria longana, dimocarpus longan, dragon's eye… I've heard so much on this."

Thanks to a report she wrote. Not only was this fruit known to rebuild stamina, help the heart, build blood, relieve anxiety and soothe the mind, provided that it was mixed with the proper tonics, but it also helped preserve the beauty of the skin. But it could be eaten as it was, too.

That wasn't the reason Kim did the report, though. She would never say it out loud, but after hearing of 'other' uses of the fruit, she told herself she was going to get some of this during her and Ron's honeymoon.

It's been said to be an excellent _love_ tonic.

If she lived long enough to have a honeymoon, that is, and if Ron's condition was reversible. It might not have been the best time to be optimistic, not when you don't have all the facts. But she took Val up on his offer and grabbed one, deciding not to dwell on those thoughts any longer. She wasn't hungry, but she was curious to its taste. And after the first bite, well worth it.

"Noff bavv" she said before swallowing it. "A bit on the sweet side, but not overdone. I like."

Val was still munching on his, and it was clear he was becoming more revitalized with each bite. He finished his off soon after. "Agreed."

Suddenly, both heard a scream. They got up at the same time, but Val was the first to run toward the direction of the cry.

"Watch the bag," he immediately told Kim.

But she wasn't just going to sit back and do nothing. Instead, she grabbed the bag, which was a lot heavier than she anticipated, and tried to follow. Unfortunately, it slowed her down so much, but it was going to crash on her, forcing her to lose her balance. But being the smart girl she was, she used that force to help her gain running speed.

By the time she got into the next court, the situation wasn't what it seemed. She thought that maybe Ron, Uso, Fist or his ninjas were attacking someone. Instead, some girl was being assaulted by some thug, and her face was already red and blue in some places. Val got in-between them and yelled at him, probably telling him to back off. The thug revealed he was armed with a knife, telling Val to do something. Kim could clearly tell he was telling Val to mind his business, who only shook his head.

This wasn't hard to figure out. The hooligan was going to attack him and he did. He tried to slash the knife at him, and as always Val avoided it with simple, effortless movements. Even to Kim it was obvious the kid didn't know how to use the weapon. And he tried to slash again, only this time Val grabbed his hand and twisted it. After the weapon was released, the hoodlum pulled out a gun. Val stayed still for a while, but then he smiled. Before the kid could even catch it, Val grabbed the gun, but that didn't stop the hooligan from pulling the trigger.

No bang. Looking at his gun, he realized that not only was the ammo clip released, but the barrel of the gun was, too. Val single-handedly took the entire gun apart. Then he kicked the kid straight in the forehead. It almost knocked him out, but when he saw the ammo clip in Val's hand, and the fact that he only had one arm, he ran for it, letting out a high-pitched scream in his leave.

Kim let out a relieved sigh. She was afraid Val was going to make his attacker just as red as he was. She continued to watch as Val asked the harmed girl if she was okay, only to gasp at what happened next, realizing she sighed too early.

Not even when Val was done asking if she was okay, in a split second she slapped him across the face, and while his face flew back, she grabbed him by the shoulders and shoved her knee into his crotch as hard as she could. He gave her the worst glare you could imagine as he fell to the ground, letting out a loud and long grunt of pain. She yelled something at him and ran off after her attacker. In retaliation, Val got onto his knees and yelled something at the girl. But it wasn't just sarcastically saying thanks; every word that came out of his mouth was filled with venom and hatred. But he didn't finish. Having a blood rush in your head when you lost a lot of it wasn't good, and he quickly collapsed. Kim watched as the girl kept running, screaming something as she ran after her attacker. She then ran to Val and got him back on his feet.

"Val, are you okay?"

He grabbed his head as Kim led him out of the courtyard and back to the bench where they were earlier. "It's not anything I'm not used to before…"

"I can't believe some people," Kim spat with disgust. "I mean… all you did was try to help her, right? That was so mean of her!"

"It's not the first time this has happened…" he informed her.

"You're kidding…"

He smiled. "No… this was exactly like the last time, too… just like high school… I see a girl being beaten up by some poser. I get in the way and tell him to cut the crap, and he attacks me and I fend him off. Then she kicks me in the nuts as hard as she possibly can and runs off after her boyfriend…"

"Boyfriend?" Then it hit her. Kim didn't know Cantonese, but she knew what the girl yelled at him, and unfortunately, what he yelled at her.

The girl said, _"That was my boyfriend, you asshole!"_

And in a new world of pissed off, Val yelled, _"Go ahead! Run! Live a life of stupid decisions and ungratefulness, you worthless bitch! If that's how you treat people that try to help you, then you deserve nothing but abusive boyfriends! You deserve each other, and you will attract nothing but the abusive types because you're too damn stupid to make a smart choice in your life! You will always suffer for the rest of your life because of the stupid decisions you make! Now and forever! May God have mercy on your soul because they sure as hell won't! I hope you don't have plans of getting old anytime soon, you ungrateful c-"_ And that's when he collapsed.

Kim only shook her head. "Still…" She definitely didn't agree with a single word Val told her, but it wasn't cool what she did to him, either. It wasn't like he made the first move.

But he was chuckling, and before long, he started laughing. Kim quickly released him as he became hysterical. He completely lost it. "Don't you absolutely LOVE it when you try to help people and all they do is spit in your face?" he yelled with a huge smile on his face.

Looking into his eyes as she picked him up, they were pale blue again, almost completely white. That and his sudden hysterical behavior did freak Kim out a bit. "Whoa, Val, calm down."

"Why?" he cried with widened eyes, standing boldly on his feet. "Come on, don't tell me it hasn't happened to you…"

"Look, you have every reason to be mad, but just chill, okay?"

"SAY IT!"

Kim sighed. His anger was clearly outweighing the pain in his torso, almost numbing it completely. But he wasn't going to shut up until he got an answer, and not just that, but an honest one, too.

"I'll tell you, but please try not to yell anymore, would you? That's something I've gotten more than enough of."

He was huffing and puffing the whole way back to the bench, and crashed right on it. Kim put the bag where it was before and sat on the other side of it. Val grabbed his throbbing head and tried to see straight, but Kim could still tell that he was waiting for his answer.

"Yeah… When I first started out, I'd get some people who thought that by helping them I was being nosy or something, and to butt out. At first, when I started out, it used to get to me every now and then, but I'd have Ron cheer me up. But later on, I realized it wasn't worth getting all sad or upset over, really. But when high school hit, no one really bothered me about it. I thought maybe I had just run into a few rotten apples before, and that was it… at least until I got into Upperton university, that is, and people thought I was uptight or something because my name was on the news. I didn't try to intrude on their lives or anything. They asked me if I wanted to do some things I wasn't comfortable with, I just said no and that was it. Then the riot happened and I couldn't let them hurt anymore people…"

"I remember… you weren't the only one who tried to stop the violence."

"So you were involved? What did you do?"

"Incapacitated some of them without anyone even noticing. Sadly that didn't change anything on your part. Once the police thanked you and only you for your help, the drones had their name, and more than ever they wanted to influence you for their own selfish purposes… It's always them… always has been…"

"I still said no, and instead of them just leaving and saying it was cool, they wouldn't take no for an answer. Wasn't long before they made my life miserable. But I tried not to hold a grudge against them. Sometimes they just don't know better."

Val glared at her. "You're trying to imply that I shouldn't hold a grudge against that girl who shoved her knee into me earlier."

"A grudge isn't worth it, and neither is hating her for it. I mean, I don't blame you for being upset, but just pity her. That's all you can do, really."

He scoffed loudly, staring into the orange sky. "Pity? And what will pity do? Will it make her realize she's on a path of destruction? Give her the ambition to get an education? Make her realize she's being attracted to people that will end up killing her if not mutilate her? If she is completely ungrateful for others' help, then she deserves nothing but abusive scumbags like him. Pity won't save her in the long run. The girl will still continue to make stupid decisions and even she does break up with him, she'll keep running into abusive types in an infinite loop. She'll be doing it until one of them winds up killing her, and by then it's far too late to realize what kind of choices you're making… Feeling sorry for others won't make the person change their mind, Kim. Feeling sorry for another person doesn't do anything at all."

Kim really pitied him, listening as every word that came out of his mouth was full of venom. Even if he might have been right, he was absolutely hopeless. That's what his problem was. He didn't think highly of himself or his abilities. Instead he claimed that everyone else was stupid. He would say that he couldn't be the only human being on earth who actually thought ahead before doing anything, or that he alone was capable of pulling off what he could in martial arts, infiltration, and hand-to-hand or weapons-based combat. It was never about himself, but always everyone else. He didn't concern himself with one human being, but instead concerned himself with the faults of the other six billion people on the planet, most of which were governments, and especially his generation.

"How would you like it if someone died, knowing that you could have helped change the outcome in some way, Kim?"

"I'd feel miserable… But you can't just assume people's fate by the choices they make!"

"And why not? It's always the same every time. It's just a matter of time, really. No one wishes to take their life seriously, and that's exactly why it ends. People want to tell themselves they live life's simple pleasures, which is nothing more than an excuse for living a self-destructive life. They want self-destruction, then let them have it! I've learned the things I have by watching others, and no doubt you have, too, but every single thing… no one wishes to take responsibility for their actions. They want to do something stupid, fine, go ahead. Then when they suffer the consequences of their actions, they either blame someone else or victimize themselves. People don't want others to make choices for them, but when it comes to the wild side of life, they become slaves. When it comes to everything else, 'oh no, I want to make my own decisions!' and they're too damn stupid to. It's no wonder people look down on our generation, and they have every right to."

"Val, you have to stop thinking like this. Look, I don't like some of the choices people make either, especially when they affect others, but you can't just wish them the worst. Just hope they can get back on their feet and head the right direction."

"Hope is nothing more than something we mentally invest in to make ourselves feel better about the things we fear."

Breaking through to him was just as hard as she expected. "Let me ask you something. Do you always think you're right? You make so many generalizations and you're so quick to judge."

He covered his face. "Believe me, Kim. When you've seen everything I have, you just _pray_ for the day that you're proven wrong. To every single deity, I just want the world to smack me in the face and tell me I've been wrong my whole life about everything. Everyone always wants to know everything, whether it be about other people, their own future, or the secrets of the world. Knowledge can be a gift but it can be just as much of a curse… it's no wonder that some people turn evil with the things they learn. It doesn't mean they're more intelligent than others, it definitely doesn't mean they're more right than other people, but some facts are enough to make people kill themselves or others. We like to think it's just one country, one situation, one culture, one system of beliefs, but it isn't…"

"I think you told me something like that before… Listen, I know you're not concerned about yourself, what happens to you and whether you live or die, but… you're not going to live a good life if all you do is dwell on others. You gotta, you know, chin up a bit. I won't be shallow and tell you to smile for no reason, but there's more to life than just the people in it. What that girl did _was_ mean, and even I have to say that wasn't smart of her, but the world's not going to end just because of people like her."

If Kim didn't have her eyes on the children playing ball, she would have seen that Val shot her a ferociously suspicious glare, just reading _"Don't be so certain…"_ He looked back to the clouds by the time she looked back at him.

"I'm not telling you how to think," she continued, "and I know you, your beliefs are solid and you have a strong stance on morals, values, integrity, ethics and all. I just wish I knew what makes you happy… _other_ than fighting. I saw the way you talked to that girl; there's a lot more to you than just combat, you know. You're not a syntho-drone, a bio-mech, or a fighting machine. You're a human being."

'_Unfortunately,'_ he thought to himself.

And Kim wasn't telling him this just for the sake of calming him down, or feeding him a bunch of crap so he would be quiet, but she wished she could help him, too. No one else on the planet would try to, seeing as most wouldn't step foot near him because of what they heard, afraid he'd slice off one of their limbs or something, at least those who recognized him. Everyone else got a different impression by his appearance and he scared them off because of it.

His only response was looking at her, and for some reason, Kim could only look back at him. The two were staring at each other with concerned eyes. Val was thinking of something, and Kim was trying to decipher those thoughts.

"Why are you telling me this?" he calmly asked, plainly out of curiosity.

Kim could tell he wasn't used to people talking to him like this. "Listen, you've helped me a great deal more than I realized. I just want to help you back. If you've really been helping me from getting killed after Ron left, helped me escape this whacked-out conspiracy and find him, I can't just walk away and do nothing."

"Help, huh? Wish I could think of something… well, I suppose you could go back to the hotel room and get my bag. I require a few things from it."

Not the response she was expecting, apparently. "I don't even know where the… oh. Never mind." Turns out the back of the hotel was right in front of them. She looked back at Val, just sitting there with his head wobbling around with a bag of fruit next to him.

He caught it as well. "Don't know how I missed that one… Relax… I'm not going anywhere. You remember which room, right?"

"Yeah. 401. Do you need something from it or the entire bag?"

"The bag."

Kim quickly got up when she saw the rear entrance of the hotel, and she would have noticed if she could read the sign. However, she heard something from behind her as she started to walk.

"Maybe you're right…"

She couldn't help but turn back. "About what?"

He tossed a fruit toward her, and she caught it. "Maybe not everyone is on a doomed path based on their thoughts and actions… There is the rare case where people do see the light and errors of their ways and thoughts… without nearly being destroyed in the process…"

There was something peculiar about his tone. "You're referring to someone, aren't you? Who?"

"You."

He was clearly referring to her taste in boys and the night of her prom. Sure, she liked boys that were cute, bad, athletic, just about everything that Ron wasn't. Not that there was anything wrong with it, since appearance was also a factor with guys, even Ron. But these were just some things that weren't key to finding true love, the only kind of love Val wanted to believe in. Sometimes Kim did feel ashamed for falling for Erik the way she did so quickly, embarrassed even, considering a better person was sitting next to her. And she almost gave up because of the way she was seduced by the syntho-ex.

Something about the way Val said it, it didn't sound much like a compliment. Without giving him a direct response, she just walked back to the hotel.

"No…" Val said quietly to himself. "She's just the lone exception to everything… everyone…"

* * *

"Wade, it's me."

Wade quickly came to open the door. "Are you feeling okay?" he asked with concern.

"Yeah, why?"

"Oh, well, I kind of watched you and Val via satellite. I saw everything… Ron, I mean."

"Well, I was pretty bummed out at first, especially at what he said, but now that I know he's possessed, I've got to do something to save him. You didn't happen to look up a few things on his condition, did you?"

Wade motioned for Kim to walk toward his laptop, and she did. Both looked at the computer screen.

"I was able to scan him and find out a few things while you guys, uh, talked. No wonder we couldn't grab him for six months. I was specifically looking for Ron, not a mutated monkey version of him. I even tried DNA and biological scans but he's changed so much even on the inside."

"Wade, tell me something. I know this is going to sound dumb, but his thoughts… is Ron's mind truly possessed by the mystical monkey powers, or is he just being completely big-headed about his abilities, only driven by hate…?"

"It's not a dumb question, because I wondered it myself. Usually when Ron was put under mind control in the past, it was kind of obvious. I thought at first that maybe it was just his appearance and moves, but there was definitely a lot of screwy brain activity going on in his head, and it's not healthy. Bad news, Kim."

"Not that I haven't had enough of that lately…"

"Look. These are Ron's brainwaves I recorded a long time ago, right after Val started his hunt for the artifacts." Kim was shown a screen with something that looked like radio waves. There was a bit of activity going on, but nothing seemed out of place. "And here's what I recorded a half hour ago."

"Whoa…!"

It was almost like as if they were sound waves, and someone turned on the system and put it to full blast. Completely unstable.

"Definitely not mind control, since I haven't detected any kind of outgoing signal. But Kim, that's not much different than people who eventually suffer from strokes and aneurisms! He's not just possessed, but this is bad. Real bad."

"You're going to tell me that if we don't do something in the next few days or couple of weeks, it's going to kill him, right?"

Wade sighed. "Right… But I don't know what triggered this. I scanned his vitals while I was at it and everything appeared to be fine."

"I don't suppose you know if it's reversible…"

"Not until I find out what the real problem is."

Kim then realized something. "Oh shoot! Wade, you didn't happen to find out anything about Rufus, did you? He was the one I saw in the vision!"

"Not to worry," he calmly replied, "Since I was able to scan everything I needed on Ron, I can now follow him wherever he goes. He went to an airport not too long ago, and I picked up Rufus. He's lost weight, but he's definitely alive. I've pinpointed the flight and it's going to Honolulu, and it's going to rendezvous with a plane that's going to Texas, then Mexico. I also heard Val say he put a tracker on him, and I've got that pinpointed as well. Extra security. We can't lose him this time."

"You so rock, Wade. I almost forgot. I came up here to get Val's bag. Oh, and eat up." She quickly tossed the fruit Val gave her toward Wade, and he caught it. She also located Val's bag in the corner of the room and strapped it on. It was as heavy as she expected.

Wade took a bite of the fruit as Kim opened the door. "I'll look up what I can on Ron."

"Please and thank you _so_ much, Wade."

* * *

As Kim walked out of the hotel and back into the court behind her, she noticed that Val had applied several bandages to his chest and abs, including a few on his arm and one on his neck. He wasn't snacking on anymore Longan, but instead, Mango.

"Sorry I took so long," Kim apologized. "I had to see if Wade found out anything concerning Ron and his condition. He's headed to Mexico with your tracker intact, and since Wade followed us via satellite, he's got Ron on the scanner. He can't escape us now. But his powers are causing some serious brain activity, enough to kill him, so we need to do something about it and soon. But Wade can't determine the actual cause or reason of the powers warping his head. Oh, and here's your bag."

He took the bag from Kim's grip and dug through it, letting out all kinds of plastic and metal sounds. The first thing he pulled out looked like a steel toolbox, followed by an even bigger one. The sound of metal clashing with each other could be heard as he put both boxes aside, the opposite side of the fruit bag. His bag became as light as a feather as he slipped it behind the toolboxes.

He opened the smaller box first, filled with nothing but tools. However, they weren't just construction tools, but medical and surgical as well.

As for the bigger box? Several pieces of metal, but all in flawless condition. As Kim observed the contents more, they ranged from long to short, big and mall, but they weren't just pieces taken from the junkyard. This looked like high caliber material similar to those her dad showed her when he dragged her to the space center. Clean and wielded to perfection. Several wires also filled the box, all electrical.

Val took his coat off, unintentionally giving Kim a perfect view of where his left arm should connect to his chest. He had a metal shoulder plate with wires sticking out from under it, preventing her from seeing any kind of internal organs or blood.

She didn't need to say a word. He was going to reconstruct his left arm, but not before pulling out his mangled one, still covered in blood. The mixed stench of sweat, blood and metal wasn't a good one, and she almost gagged. He didn't seem to be too pleased by it, either, so he pulled out only specific parts and threw it in a conveniently-placed trash can next to him. What he pulled out was the small computer originally on his wrist, what appeared to be five tiny, tiny, tiny glass containers with a glowing blue liquid inside of each, and various computer chips.

And before long he already assembled the skeletal structure of the entire arm and hand. But the whole time he had an irritated look on his face and was mumbling something to himself. Kim easily saw what it was, letting out an unimpressed curve in her lips.

"_Still_ thinking about that girl?"

He groaned in thought. "And why not? I just don't understand how people can subject themselves to abusive relationships like that. What on earth does she see in that guy? Sure can't be his looks… Is that what this whole 'bad boy' attraction is? People want to go to the wild side of life because there's no meaning in theirs? Or is it all image…? I am so sick and tired of people being attracted to others just because of looks alone! What the hell is it with image? Image this, image that!"

Judging by the one of his voice, Kim could see what his problem was. Maybe it wasn't just concern about other people, but for someone who knew so much, someone who craved knowledge, he was driving himself crazy with the things he didn't understand. Even Kim got frustrated when she couldn't understand why Ron did some of the things he did, but not to this extent. Okay, that wasn't the truth. There was that one time Ron bought four games when it was his turn to pay the rent, and after a long argument Kim decided she'd sleep in the guest room. But that was something different.

Many people wanted to know what made Val crack. This was it.

He took a long sigh of breath. "I just don't understand the attraction to these so-called 'bad boys'. I've seen this all too often in my own journey around the world. America, France, Brazil, Italy, jolly ol' England, Australia even, and now China, and it's the same every time. The poor girl gets into a relationship with someone she thinks is slick, smooth, living on the _wild_ side of life… and what happens? She goes to her job the next day with bruises all over her face, but does she even try to get out of it? No."

"Val, some people can't because they're too afraid. Fear consumes them. And sometimes they really are weak. They don't think they have what it takes to fight back and stand up for themselves."

"And that's when you usually have someone notice and help. Do they appreciate your help? Hah. Hardly… And you'd think that maybe the person is strong enough to finally realize. When they're dead," he said with pure anger in his voice. "Tell me something, since you know _so much_ on the subject. You've been attracted to bad boys. What would you be like if you got into a relationship with someone who got thrills out of beating you up?"

"First of all, Val, _please_ calm down. Second, I don't get into relationships with abusive guys. There's a difference between bad boys and abusive jerks. Abusive jerks are nothing. Just guys who are nothing who have to hurt girls to make themselves feel superior or something. Sometimes a girl feels pity for him, so she wants to help him. I don't know. I've met some people who were just downright mean and I've never had thoughts of dating them. A jerk like Sean for instance. Blegh."

"And bad boys? I still don't understand." He let out another sigh, trying to release his anger.

"It's kind of hard to explain. I found myself attracted to bad boys in high school… a lot. But really, back then I didn't think about things like long-term relationships or true love. It was kinda… well, a silly schoolgirl crush kind of thing, but I wasn't the only one. We kinda like guys who are bad but not mean… oh, I don't even know how to explain it to you. It's something different I suppose. I don't even know if that makes sense to you. But I know a lot of the other cheerleaders wanted a little more action in their lives, someone who might have been a bit on the wild of life, and not your definition of wild. They were just, I don't know. Exciting? Different? They were also confident, but inside, like most of us, you could tell they were searching for who they were, too. Ron… well, even though he couldn't pull off the bad boy thing in high school, he had his moments throughout the relationship, long before his transformation. He had a bit of fun at my expense, and I had some fun at his… I guess it's hard to explain if you don't know it already." She thought she just wasted her time.

"Well, that's better than what I had known before, which was absolutely nothing. And to think that people have mistaken me for one, when I didn't even know what it was."

"I could see why, sort of, with that Dracula-style leather trenchcoat, your hair, eyes, the scar on your face, and your arm."

"That's only if you're the type to judge on appearance. You may think that what I wear matches my personality, based on our fights and perhaps my past… but this is the kind of stuff I've been wearing since I started high school, with an erased past and no ill will towards anybody. I still remember the first day I walked into the halls of Upperton High. People thought I was someone I wasn't, then when they realized I wasn't an exciting or active type, they said I wasn't worth a damn."

"Ron got that a few times too, especially in D hall in freshman year. He'd always come to me when he felt bad… but you didn't have anyone to go to, did you?"

"No," he calmly answered. "But I never gave them the satisfaction of letting them get to me, and if anything, I used it against them. I wear what I do only because I like it. I have no consideration for any outside opinion whatsoever, not when it comes to something as trivial as appearance, to something you boldly believe in. People can tell you to change as much as they want, but to even consider it is an insecurity in itself, a weakness. To be concerned about what others think… But I wouldn't say let yourself look like Bigfoot and refuse to take showers, and do everything you can only because you can, no matter how right or wrong it is… but these days people let others get to them and they change what they shouldn't… Could I pull off the whole bad boy thing in high school? Perhaps, if I actually cared. I never concerned myself with what people ever thought of me, even today, because appearance means nothing, and there's no point of going out of the way to impress people who could care less if you died the next day. Why go out of the way to impress people and act like someone you're not when people are going to stab you in the back, anyway?"

Kim only sighed. He was still dwelling on high school. She remembered when Ron tried to be a bad boy and it backfired, and from then on she wasn't really interested in bad boys except for him.

"Forgive me…" he grunted, "I tend to go on a rant far too often…"

Kim looked at him with concerned eyes. "You don't have any other way of venting your mind, do you?"

"Other than using fear against a thief who beats up poor old man trying to support his family, I can't think of much."

Not a surprising answer. He only felt alive when he tried to help someone, even if he was resorting to unspeakable measures.

"You're a lonely person."

Val snarled at her. "Save your pity for the weak…"

Kim briefly covered her face. "Sorry, I didn't mean for it to come out like that."

He sighed again. "No, it's just me… Next time I lose a lot of blood I should just put duct tape over my mouth."

Kim noticed that he stopped working on his arm and had his attention towards the children. Before, they were playing and laughing. Now, one of the kids seemed to have grabbed the ball, and another was yelling at him for it. A verbal fight broke out, and it quickly got to the point that the kids were yelling English curse words, perhaps the most vulgar. They must have been no older than five, all of them.

Looking at Val's hateful eyes, Kim could see this was why he was the way he was. He wasn't surprised at all.

"You really don't think we're going to make it, do you, Val? I mean, society… people…"

He put away a screwdriver and pulled out a different one. "We believe we'll destroy ourselves with the weapons we created to protect ourselves, that whatever higher powers or deity will judge us and destroy us with something like a comet, or something else will destroy us. But I truly think humanity will wage war on itself. So no, I don't think we're going to make it. It's all a matter of which generation winds up doing it, and these children… it's going to be more recent than anyone can ever imagine."

Finally, one of the kids pushed the other into the ground. Kim almost got up to go help, but Val grabbed her with a partially-wielded left hand and stopped her. The kid who got pushed quickly got up and the other went home.

"It's tragic," he said. "Children are a prime example of how responsible our society is, and they will probably be the ones who will mold our world into one with hate. No one teaches them any of life's values, so how will they teach their own children that? Such things will only be lost in time… We can only do so much, but we can't save an entire planet from itself."

And Kim thought she sounded depressed, but Val had so much passion in his voice. Without that leather jacket of his on, he sounded just as sad as she was. Were they both really after the same thing, saving the world? Kim liked helping people, and so did he. She saved lives regardless of any previous relation to that person. However, he didn't. Similar in so many ways, but different in just as much. Even though saving the world was once considered a hobby to her, he lived for it, and he would probably die for it, too.

Her thoughts were quickly interrupted by the sounds of his tools getting louder. She took a moment to look at what he had gotten done in arm repair, and he was really fast. They were probably talking for ten minutes and she could see so much progress. Wires, protective covering, more wires, fingers. It wasn't as gross as she thought it would be.

"Are you sure you should do that out here in public, Val?"

"Why? Is there a problem with that?"

"Well, I thought some people might get scared of that kind of stuff, but I know you. You're going to tell me you don't care how people react, and that they need to see this kind of stuff. They need to know biomechanical technology exists."

"Well put."

"Let me ask you something… have you ever thought of helping others with mechanical limbs? I know you're trying to help people, so why not help people that way? Like that girl at the fruit stand you told me about, that her father doesn't have an arm either. What about our troops in combat? People born without limbs? They can benefit so much from this."

"No, you don't understand…" he quickly came back with, "Denteressen (the metal used) can't be purchased, due to the reports that only 137 pounds of it exist on earth. Due to its rarity not even celebrities could purchase it, but it's not only the cost and quantity. Me, I'm performing it on myself because I don't care whether I live or die. But to have the same control as your original limb, it must form a link with your bloodstream and nervous system. Denteressen-"

"Right, I forgot. It's the only metal that can do such a thing without the risk of rusting and infecting… _only_ if you have an AB blood type. Otherwise it'll result in an allergic reaction. But even with an AB blood type, you have to be in absolute perfect health, you can't be old, and you can't suffer from a blood-related disease. I forgot about that."

"Correct. It's far too experimental. And it's not something you can surgically implant after months of losing your limb. I had to do this immediately when I got my arm blown off."

Still hard to picture for some reason. But just when it looked finished, he was far from over.

"Concerned that people will be grossed out, huh?" he asked.

"I thought at first, but most of the people don't even notice, or look away and say nothing."

"As they should. It's not like I'm doing anything illegal or disgusting. If I had blood spurting out all over the place, that'd be another matter."

"I really don't want to picture that. I was just wondering about the possibilities. Even cybertronic technology has given people back so much. I was hoping biomechanical might help, too."

"If it did, I wouldn't be fighting anymore."

It was weird for Kim. There were only two boys in the world she could have deep conversations with, one Ron, and now Val. One would sometimes bore her with weird details about games and movies and new Naco combos, and the other freaked her out with twisted ideologies towards others and details of every weapon out there. And to think her first date with Josh Mankey involved weird food combinations.

She could use a chocolate-dipped fry about now.

"What?" he asked with an annoyed look on his face.

Kim realized she didn't turn away in her thoughts, giving Val the impression she was staring at him. "Sorry, I was thinking about some things. I didn't mean to stare."

"No, it's just me again… staring happens to be a pet peeve of mine, especially when it's on my left side…"

She couldn't help but take another look. "Oh… I see."

His scar, a wound that refused to heal. Unfortunately, now that she noticed it, she couldn't help but stare. Seeing that she wasn't out of his range of vision, he could tell that she wasn't freaked out by it, but she was observing it, wondering why it wouldn't heal, or more specifically, how it truly got there.

She looked away again. "Sorry again. I know you told me you got it back in your agent days…" back when she was being held captive by wires after surviving a massive explosion that should have killed her, Ron, Rufus and him. A Hind helicopter, missiles, and some flammable liquid that was spread throughout the roof.

"Did I? I guess I must've gotten carried away…"

"I figured that wasn't the truth, not when we looked up your yearbook pictures and found no scar on your eye whatsoever. And it wasn't just contacts like your eyes, no makeup job. But it's not my place to ask."

"You really want to know? I won't be done here for a while."

"You're sure? I mean, if you don't feel comfortable about it, that's perfectly fine."

"You're still going to wonder how I received it, though."

Kim couldn't defend herself on that one, considering that it was a wide wound that went from above his right eye, past his left eye, and ended at his left cheek.

"So… how?"

He sighed as he went into storyteller mode. "It was back in high school, a few weeks before I was supposed to graduate. Back when Michelle and I weren't enemies… back when she was worth something. Anyway, Prom was a few weeks away, and I found myself interested in it. I suppose back then I was what people would call the hopeless romantic, the person who wanted the thing he could never acquire. At first, I couldn't think of a date. I was afraid. I wasn't sure who to ask, and knowing where I ranked among the food chain, it was unlikely anyone would say yes? The truth, or my own inner fear at work? I still don't know. But when I talked to Michelle about it, I realized, maybe she was the one. Sure, she was attractive, but she was a smart person, a really smart person. We had a good friendship. However, she told me she wasn't interested in the prom, but the after prom. No big deal, I thought. It was going to be at a nightclub reserved for the class. I liked the idea, she liked the idea. Maybe she wasn't ready, I told myself. There sure were some people gossiping about us, either it was too obvious I was starting to develop feelings for her, or she might have been feeling something for me. I wasn't too optimistic, however. I was an outcast with her as my only friend, and she was a cheerleader."

Much like Kim and Ron…

"So then what happened?"

"She never showed up at the place, and I got sick for some reason. At first I thought it was because I wasn't used to the environment, or the weather. She wouldn't answer my calls, so it was really a gut feeling that something wrong was going on. I didn't see her that weekend, so I was worried. It turned out she went to her first party, I guess the other cheerleaders on Upperton's squad convinced her to do that instead. You could tell just by the way she walked that something was different. And when I heard what happened that night, it was just too much to comprehend, and even now I have a hard time comprehending it. She sold herself out. Not just her mind, but her body and her soul as well. Unspeakable things you think you only hear about on TV programs and the internet. The internet's more accurate…"

Kim was starting to regret bringing up his scar. His voice was getting shaky with each word.

"It wasn't just one person, Kim. The entire sports teams… all of the cheerleaders including her… I thought that maybe they messed up her drink, did something to drug her… and for the hell of it people shoved pictures into my face. Photos, computer images, cell phone even… it was a nightmare come true. It was real, all real… I didn't want to believe it, but the proof was all there, and she refused to make eye contact with me. She wouldn't answer my calls, she wouldn't talk to me at lunch, so I had to take a stand and demand the truth out of her. I wanted to wait for a convenient time, but now I couldn't get past her, with all her new friends… She told me she didn't know what my name was."

He was remembering the situation with each word. At this point, it was hard for Kim to picture him as her most fiercest opponent.

"But I wasn't going to sit back and do nothing. Because of her sudden popularity, people wanted to relive a night filled with sex, booze and drugs. Before, I thought absolutely nothing of the subject. Nothing. I didn't even know these kinds of things occurred, just some hidden underground thing a few kids did. But it was rampant in Upperton. So rampant. I had to put a stop to it. The party took a week after Prom did, and I thought I was lucky to catch her before she became the showgirl of the night. I didn't care about the drama, if I was going to make a scene, or that I was going to interrupt anyone's 'fun'. I knew that deep inside she was still in there, and she wasn't lost forever. I told her that. This wasn't who she was, and this wasn't the path for her to follow. I wanted to help. She wasn't intoxicated at all, but told me she never knew who she was these last couple of years, and that being friends with someone like me wasn't going to help her out. She was always busy at her work to hang out with, and she had the nerve to tell me we never hung out outside high school. Her life wasn't exciting, so she sold her soul to achieve popularity. People who would take her wherever she wanted, and allowed her to do every single thing she wanted. But I wouldn't give up on her. And out of that, I just said it out loud. 'I love you!' Everyone looked at me like I was accompanied by the four horsemen. Again, she tried to defend herself, her prime excuse being 'you didn't know me.' But I did, much more than everyone else at that party. I even grabbed her hand and tried to drag her out of there, and that's when it happened."

Kim was dead silent. His voice was the only thing she could hear. No children, no cars, no planes, nothing.

"She grabbed a liquor bottle and swiped it across my face, completely shattering it on impact… bitch almost took my eye out. So I was left there in a bloody heap with my entire head bleeding, and she laughed. She laughed long and proud. She just told me to get out of her life, and this was where she belonged, with friends."

"And I thought her not caring at your 'supposed' funeral when I thought you first died was bad."

"Normally, a guy would burst out into tears and ask 'why'. I didn't. Almost as if she opened my eyes to the entire world, I got up and was ready to strangle her. I snapped. I totally lost it. However, the football team stopped me from getting close enough to grab her throat and rip her head off. She smiled in satisfaction, but far too early. I spit blood all over my capturers and blinded them, then took the bottle she hit me with and swiped the broken bottle across her face. I was too far away, and she only suffered minor scratches. But from then on, I vowed revenge, I told her to yell, scream, burn, and die, just pouring out every bit of my sudden hatred towards her. Then she ordered the sports teams to be her bodyguards, but not before having them all beat me to a bloody pulp outside the party."

"You didn't have all your martial arts skills to defend yourself, did you? With your memory erased?"

"No. So I took it. I woke up in an abandoned backyard three days later, and only a few minutes until class started. But I couldn't get close to her with some guy making sure I didn't hurt her. Not only that, but I had endless people point and laugh at me, the guy who got his ass kicked by a girl, that I got owned, that she left a love scar on my face. Unfortunately, she also told the school officials I might be after her because the scar was self-inflicted and I tried to do the same to her. But when I did see her, she said she would never be sorry, that she has no regrets towards everything she's done, and she even shoved the details in my face of what she allowed people to do to her at those parties… I'll spare you the details."

"And that's how you went insane… so much that you attacked me and Ron when you heard that we got together."

"After high school, some of my martial arts knowledge returned to me… but quite frankly I'm glad you beat me and gave me back my old life, my sanity. Some attempt to live a new live free from a past of violence, huh? Magnetic electro-shock therapy does the job… Even I've done some stupid things in the past that I've regretted."

"Yeah… I heard from Nev that everyone who had done you wrong suffered later on. Motor accidents, injuries that left them with broken bones, dislocated limbs, diseases…"

"All true, every single one, except Michelle."

"She never did say sorry, did she?"

"No."

"I know this is probably going to be the worst question, but did you ever forgive her?"

"No, and I never will."

"I'm not surprised, knowing you. Please don't take that harshly."

"You can't forgive people when they're dead, Kim."

Her eyes widened when hearing this. "What? Wait, she died?"

"She did."

"When did this happen?"

"Around the time you and Ron entered college. Michelle and all her friends went for a night out, except that she went to another college outside the state. She got into a head-on collision with an oil tanker truck, and it exploded on her. Her friends died instantly, but she survived. Her parents tried as much as they could to keep her alive, but she suffered from severe burns and internal bleeding. They couldn't stop it. So, for four months she suffered and finally bled to death one year ago… today. December 14th."

Kim was absolutely speechless.

"Karma finally hit her in the worst way possible… then you wonder why I think about death often, because my existence is a curse. Maybe not just her, but everyone I walk across."

"Right… you have that supernatural trait, witchcraft by your ancestors, ultra karma or something."

"And so far, it's happened to everyone who has done me wrong unless I merit it. I can only imagine what will happen to the girl with that thug boyfriend of hers… Even the thought scares me… I wish I could just let everything go concerning Michelle, but with this scar as a reminder of her actions, it's hard to wake up every morning and see it in the mirror every time. And unfortunately I'm reminded of what I'm fighting for. A better future, but with just people in general in my way, I just can't achieve it. I can't let them or anyone interfere. But I'll never know why she betrayed me the way she did… and I told myself I loved her. No… that's first love, sometimes you say she's 'the one' when she's really the only one you thought about."

"I am so sorry to hear all that. I really mean it."

"I know you do… And that should about wrap things up."

He stood upward and let out his mechanical left arm, now completed. He stretched it out, moved it, cracked his knuckles and moved his fingers. It was made to perfection, animating fluidly with each motion, no different than a human limb. Not only that, but the entire arm had a pattern on it, similar to a tattoo pattern. It no longer resembled a skeletal arm. After observing the patterns and movement, the entire arm opened up like a weapon, like some kind of beam cannon was attached to it, but there wasn't. By the looks of things, he could store all kinds of things in there, despite that the arm was anything but huge. It was skinny like his right human arm.

Once he could confirm everything was set, he put away the tools and materials. He took his shoulder bag and fruit bag and walked out of the alley.

"I guess I'll see you later, then."

Kim was surprised. "Um, what?"

Val already hit another alley. "Have you forgotten our situation? You need to find out what triggered Ron's condition."

Already they were at the streets. The sun wouldn't be out for much longer, and there was virtually no traffic. Val already made his way across the street, and Kim stood still at the opposite side.

He turned around to meet eye contact. "You need to speak with someone who is extremely familiar with the Mystical Monkey Powers. You need to head to Yamanouchi and speak to Sensei. He should know."

"I would have done that a long time ago," Kim said, "but we've never found out where it is. Wade's trackers always went dead when we tried to locate it, even when Ron went there twice. Only he knows."

Kim suddenly caught a folded-up paper in her fingers.

"There's the coordinates," Val informed her. "I'll be around, but don't wait up."

Not a surprise that he knew, considering he was at one time a student.

"Where are you going?" Kim asked him.

"I need to restock on weapons. I passed by several weapons stores on our hunt for Melissa Uso, but I need to take a closer look. Besides, I'm not welcome on the school grounds. I'll see you later, but until then, take care."

He shot Kim his trademark double-finger goodbye gesture as he started to walk off, with a huge bag on his back and a bag of fruit in his left arm. He looked no different than an everyday traveler.

"Val?"

He suddenly stopped to face her.

"Thank you so much…" Kim said in the softest voice possible.

For some reason, it completely took him off guard, and he didn't know how to react. "D-Don't mention it."

Just then a truck passed by, and he was gone. Kim tried to see if he jumped on, but he didn't.

"One of these days, I'll repay the favor…" she quietly said to herself.

* * *

It was well past evening when Kim got back to the hotel room, finding Wade asleep at the keyboard. She closed the door and the windows and put some covers on him. It was strange to see Wade so peaceful like this. He did look like a young child, just sleeping quietly and peacefully. He must've been exhausted from the research.

Speaking of which, she slowly turned the laptop her way to see what he found out. However, instead of looking at Ron's problem, he turned to her partner, Melissa Uso. Her profile was completely empty, saying everything was unknown other than her name… and one shocking detail.

_Relatives: Enya Fayce (Twin Sister) – Deceased_

Val's old battle partner.


	14. 13: How Things Have Changed Between Us

The second of two flashback chapters, dividing Acts II and III. This was originally a second prologue. I'll admit, this chapter repeats a lot of what's already been said (especially with the last chapter). I liked how it turned out though, and something didn't feel right with not uploading it. However, I've edited a few words here and there for continuity, and just a little bit of stuff at the end.

This is also an 'epilogue' of some sort to the previous story, more of what exactly happened at the very end of it. More background, but mostly a flashback. Good for those who actually started with this story and not the other two, slightly covering the events of the last two stories. Sorry to those dying to see what really happens next, but this'll be the last of any kind of flashback/retrospect work... Well, at least between Kim and Val.

I might not be able to work on the story for some time because I'm totally swamped with assignments, ridiculous even by my standards.

**Chapter 13: How Things Have Changed Between Us**

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* * *

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_August 2005_

She was furious.

"Kim?"

She told herself she wasn't concerned with the state of her little black dress, soaked and torn in a few places. She told herself that she wasn't concerned about the cuts on her arms and legs.

"'ello, KP?"

She tried to tell herself that she wasn't angry at the fact that she got into a brutal fight with Shego on another night out with Ron. It was supposed to be a relaxing night after weeks of paperwork and a brutal fight in Bay City, California. First Ron suddenly went missing after the two had their first fight, then he was nearly assassinated, then when responding to a nuclear threat, he was not only inches away from death after an explosion, but he wound up with nanomachines in his bloodstream that everyone thought would kill him. Then he was thrown off a building. And yet, the entire thing was staged by a confusing yet relentless adversary. Even though he knew both Kim and Ron would survive, it put Kim under an unbearable amount of stress. But as before, Kim took him down and it was supposed to be all over. Somewhat.

Upon returning to Middleton, Kim got a ton of paperwork from the college she was planning to attend, Upperton University. Class registrations, orientations, and the dorms. Because Kim didn't find herself befriending any people up there, and the fact that Ron was going to become a business major at Upperton Community College, the couple decided they would get an apartment together in Upperton instead, a choice in which both parents surprisingly approved (so surprising Kim had to make sure her dad wasn't a syntho-drone or a hologram).

When it was all over, they were both finally given a well-deserved break. But instead of getting some much-needed rest, the two decided to head out on another date, but this time to Upperton. Their destination would be a poetry and karaoke bar called "The Shooted".

The strange thing was, she was given free tickets by none other than the one who arranged the Bay City threat, Valia Erocus Ryan, an adversary who was only five days older than Kim. Other than his trademark dark appearance and pessimistic viewpoint of people and life, he was the most lethal of her villains. He was well-versed in multiple martial arts, agile but powerful, able to wield any weapon given to him, fluent in several languages, could man any vehicle.

In what he was capable of, he was just like Kim, but he was on a much higher level. He gave Kim a quick and embarrassing defeat on their very first encounter. But unlike her usual threats, he had a thing for understanding how people worked. By observing the way they move, they way they act, the way they respond, he could pinpoint exactly who they were.

And it drove him insane with hatred. Even though karma always worked in his favor - a curse in his bloodline thanks to witchcraft by his ancestors - he would still deliberately use any and everybody's fears and weaknesses against them. And yet, he didn't demand sympathy or attention. He only did such things because he felt the need to express the truth. To him, only when one is aware of their flaws and weaknesses, only then can they learn to tame them. But he never used words alone. Instead, he used physical methods of proving his points, abusing people's emotions to no end. Even if he suffered or was killed, it didn't matter to him.

The effects of first love can be both cherishing and deadly.

Back in the day, first love made Kim realize a lot of things. The so-called food chain didn't matter. Sure, everyone wishes to love someone they're attracted to, usually by looks, but when you realize you've had someone who has always been there for you, and always will be, such things are more important. A lot of things came into perspective for Kim on the night she thwarted Drakken's Diablo scare, and she only wondered why she couldn't see it before.

Yet, love doesn't always mean happy endings for everybody.

For Valia, he had fallen for a girl he had been friends with for a little over a year. Sure, he may have been someone who didn't fit into any group and was a bit quiet, but that didn't stop him from befriending a cheerleader. Like Kim and Ron, they didn't have many similarities. Michelle was pretty, somewhat popular, but yet had a fresh sense of innocence to her personality, so much that she didn't really get involved into the affairs of others. Around Val, she feared nothing. She could talk about anything on her mind, she could vent, and he would listen. He didn't judge her. However, he started to fall for her, but he was also afraid to reveal his feelings for her. It wasn't just a mere crush. Even though he didn't do much but read and search the internet for information to fill his head with, he couldn't stop thinking about her. He enjoyed their conversations, she had a cute personality, she was a bit clumsy, she seemed very intelligent, and she was cute. Around him, she could be herself.

At least, that's what he was led to believe.

After a few weeks, Val finally told himself he was going to reveal his feelings, but Michelle was invited by the rest of the Upperton cheerleading squad to join a party. She didn't want to at first, but she was put under a lot of pressure to do it. Then she reluctantly agreed. More things than anyone would want to know happened in only three hours, and she would never be the same person again. Now that everyone convinced her that quantity was more important than quality, she didn't care for Val despite everything he did for her. One night, he tried to stop it and attempt to turn her back on one night, interfering at a party, and what happened there and then would change his life forever. She betrayed him. She was now dead to him. He was humiliated and ridiculed, and it would haunt him until he graduated a year earlier than expected.

It was more than enough to mutate him into a completely different person. The anger consumed him as if he were possessed by the fires of hell. He vowed revenge, but it wouldn't be at his hands. He would sit back and watch as every person who attended that party would suffer from vehicle accidents and alcohol poisoning at other parties. It would result in broken bones, comas, the need to replace vital organs, brain damage, in all cases near-death. And he didn't have to do a thing. He was born with a curse that all those who do him wrong would suffer dreadfully.

And everyone did. Except Michelle. She didn't fear Valia. She had no remorse for what she did to him that night. She didn't want to go back to the days when they were close friends. Now that she had power in popularity, now that she was truly accepted, there was no need for him. She didn't care how he turned out to be. To her, it was only a result of the power in herself that she now had over boys. Now she could destroy them as well.

Valia hoped in graduation that he would be able to get away from it all in his early graduation, but he started to suddenly have strange memories, almost as if living a separate life. He tried to practice martial arts in an effort to clear his mind, having only some experience at the age of twelve. Yet, he learned several styles more quickly than anyone, human or supernatural, should ever learn in a short period of time. But it wasn't enough. For months he felt lost, and his heart had a void filled with hatred. Even friends on the internet couldn't help. It wouldn't be a surprise to anyone if he ended his own life, but he told himself he wouldn't die, not until Michelle either paid for her actions or started to feel regret. It wouldn't happen. He wanted to destroy Michelle's image among her friends, but he feared himself. He feared he would take things too far and literally destroy her. But vengeance fueled his soul, poisoning it. Just thinking about it made him breathe heavily, tasting blood in the back of his throat, and he could have sworn he felt his own blood flow through his veins, almost as if something else was inside.

That is, until something took his mind off of it. The news of Kim and Ron thwarting Drakken's Diablo scare.

Almost as if Michelle didn't exist, and with no logical explanation, he turned his anger to a new direction. The new couple.

Valia did proper research before engaging the two. He hacked into the GJ database without even knowing how to hack. First, he researched a jewel with forbidden qualities, which would be none other than mind control, but only with the proper laser and heat frequency. Second, he researched Kim and Ron. Kim reminded him so much of Michelle, or what she could have been, but he was baffled by the fact that he resembled Ron, minus the perky humor and clumsiness.

Not caring of the consequences, he would have his fun with the two. True love didn't exist, and he wanted to show them that. But he failed and it almost cost him his life. Officially, it did. He was supposed to have sunken in a collapsing underwater lair as Kim and Ron barely escaped.

But Val returned as a different person. There was a reason he had an extensive knowledge of martial arts, why he was able to hack, and why he was able to replace his left hand with a mechanical one after getting a brutal bite at the teeth of Ron's beloved pet. He deliberately used mind control against the two, when ironically, it turned out that he too was under mind control as well, but it was done under his hand.

The final battle in the aquadome had him maliciously electrocuted and confused by a new feeling. Almost as if the electrocution had some sort of therapy, he saw images of another life, one filled with war, vile politicians and another girl, one killed in battle.

He wasn't just an ordinary teenager, either.

The truth was, he was a secret agent partnered with a soldier. He was an agent who tried to escape his own life by using nanomachines to block out his memory in an attempt to live like a normal person. Unfortunately, trying to live a normal life was no better than his real past. But with his memories back, and the media reporting on who he was, he was a clear target for those who wanted him back as a weapon, a senator by the name of Kathryn Brown in particular. A huge influence on the world, Brown wanted to use Ryan as the weapon he was for her own ambitions to take over the world. For that he needed to steal various weapons for her and kill Kim Possible. He had found a new respect for Kim for defeating him, and had no intention of being used like a tool, but the Senator had her ways. After blowing off his left arm with a shotgun, he complied. But he would stage everything. First, he had to have the Senator believe he was doing her will by stealing giant walking death tanks, nuclear weapons, and an army of drones. Second, he had to have Kim and her friends believe there was an actual threat, and even though he threw everything at them, near-death experiences over and over, he ensured they all survived. This was something the Senator wouldn't know, but his real plan was to screw her over on everything. If he could fool Kim and company, he would fool the senator.

However, the main reason he wanted Kim alive was because her Kimmunicator was the key. Val had more nanomachines placed in him when he was being held by the senator. If he revealed that she was behind it, it would kill him along with anyone within an eleven-mile radius. But he managed to do it all. He had some fun with Kim in a final duel, although no one ever knew if Kim really won or if he allowed her to win.

Now that he had a mechanical left arm that had direct contact with his bloodstream and nervous system, now in a jail cell with Kim as the interrogator, he could use her Kimmunicator to electrocute himself and fry the nanomachines in his body, while somehow avoiding burning himself to death. Once that was all over, he revealed to Kim the truth, but she was skeptical. Not only of his story concerning the conspiracy theory about the senator and what she wanted, but also because he changed into a new person in that cell. He seemed much kinder, willing to tell Kim the truth, even though he fought her in another brutal showdown. For some odd reason, he also gave her tickets to a karaoke and poetry bar in Upperton called "The Shooted". However, instead of saying it was a gift, he told Kim that he was giving her the tickets was to prove something: A jail cell won't hold him forever, or anyone else for that matter. And yet, he escaped right in front of her.

"Kimbo?"

The tickets were for a Friday night. Even though earlier in the day the very same senator that Val told Kim about was ambushed and poisoned in her home, her had called and thanked Kim for her involvement, and wished her the best in her future. So, she decided she would take him up on that ticket offer and head up to Upperton. Because there were two tickets, Kim decided to take Ron for a date. Finally, Kim told herself that Val had changed into a new person.

She couldn't have been more wrong.

Once Kim and Ron arrived at the proper place, they ran into none other than Drakken and Shego, who haven't been seen since they were placed in jail for the Diablo crisis. For nearly four months, Kim and Ron lived a life without them. It actually turned out that Kim's "Ron Night" and Drakken's "Karaoke Night" were on the same day of the week. Friday. Disgusted about the fact that Kim and Ron were dating, Shego as usual wanted to ruin the date. Even though Drakken protested because it was his beloved Karaoke night, and Ron protested because, well, it was Ron night, the two girls went at it almost as if the last four months hadn't happened.

"Kiiiiiiim?"

But the fight was brutal. Even though everyone got out of there before any real damage took place, the two girls wound up destroying the bar. Shego didn't fight as she usually did, attempting to strike Kim with her plasma beams and blazes as always, but instead she slammed Kim through tables and broke chairs on her. In turn, Kim did the same, but learning so many moves throughout the months from sparring with Ron and her duels with Ryan, she handed Shego another beatdown by actually destroying the stage by slamming her green rival through it. Drakken easily got scared, knowing that Kim had grown more violent in her fighting, and fled with his comrade. Even though Shego was a train wreck, Kim didn't come out unscathed from the battle, either. Shego dumped all the drinks she could onto Kim, soaking her little black dress, and all the chairs and tables broken on Kim left two cuts on her, one on her arm and one on her leg.

Ron and Drakken were practically petrified of what they had seen. So much carnage in so little time. Ron would usually go to help his girlfriend, except that so much was going on so fast, that he had no idea what to do. Just when he got an idea to grab a chair and strike Shego with it, Kim wound up taking his idea and broke the chair over Shego's head. Then when he thought about a table, Shego slammed Kim through it. It was all done so fast that neither Drakken nor Ron could comprehend any of what was going on until it was all over.

"Kim, can you at least say something?"

Kim was downright pissed off. Tonight was supposed to be a nice relaxing night to get away from everything, and it turned out to be anything but. It wasn't because of Shego, it wasn't because of the fact that her dress was torn in some areas and was soaked, it wasn't the two painful cuts.

She knew why this happened. Val had planned it all along. He knew Drakken and Shego were going to be there, and that was why he gave Kim the tickets, to prove that even they can't stay in a jail cell no matter what, and they'll always be back, much like him.

In the time that Kim knew him, he had deliberately used her relationship against her to test her emotions. Because the target was usually Ron, and now that Kim's feelings for him had amplified since Prom Night, she usually became aggressive and violent. She could be calm and cool in every other situation, but when it came to Ron, she would lose it. And now realizing that Val planned for this night to be ruined, since he was able to plan just about any and everything, she wasn't surprised that he planned for this date to be ruined. And she fell straight for the act of him being friendly and having a new view on life, just when she finally hoped he would leave them alone.

"Kim, please. You haven't said anything since we left."

Finally, Kim let out an exasperated sigh. "Look, Ron. Can I have a moment here?"

"You've been silent for a half hour now," her BF told her. "Look, are you sure you don't want me to take you home?"

"I'm fine," she bluntly answered.

Ron sighed. He had seen this side of Kim often ever since Val introduced himself. She used to be so calm and cool, and yet when her feelings for him developed into something more than just best friends, she got more worried about him than ever when he was put in danger. Not that it was the case tonight, but Kim wanted so much in the relationship without any kind of interference. She just wanted a fluffy relationship where she could cuddle with Ron, kiss him, be herself, and enjoy herself with him, and not have to worry about a thing. But she never was able to get that unless they were on a plane or at home. Everywhere else someone or something always had to interfere, always involving her hero work, but she refused to quit her work simply because of a relationship.

Kim knew this was her first real love. She wasn't going to let anything ruin it, and she wasn't going to let it ruin anything in turn. But goals can only mean so much, and not often are they resolute.

Ron was worried. Since Drakken accidentally dropped his credit card, the owner chose to bill him instead of Kim. After they left, Ron offered to take Kim back, but she wanted to walk around town. Upperton was unusually quiet at night, especially in a non-neighborhood area. She had been walking with him for a long time, and she seemed to be bitter in her thoughts, but she kept on moving her head around, almost as if she was looking for something.

"Kim, listen…" Ron started. "I know you wanted this night to be perfect, and even though it's not, it's really not that late at night. We can still go back to Middleton and do something. You don't need the dress or the makeup."

Kim sighed. "Ron, I appreciate it, but I just really wanted to look nice tonight. This was supposed to be _our_ night."

"I know, but it's not that important, Kim. Leave the dress back at your place, just bring you. That's all that matters."

"I just wanted it to be like a special occasion."

"Kim, this is going to sound so corny or cheesy, but…"

"Every time we go out is a special occasion?" she guessed.

"Close," he answered. "_You're_ the special occasion."

Kim mildly giggled, stopped in her footsteps and wrapped her arms around Ron. "I'm sorry for acting like this. I just… For a moment I thought maybe he changed, and I feel so stupid for falling for it."

Ron exchanged the gesture. "Kim, seriously. I know that Val's got the mad skills, knows everything about us and can plan just about everything, but really, what are the odds that Ron night and Drakken's Karaoke night are the same day of the week? What kind of person knows that?"

Suddenly, Kim took her arms off of Ron, picked up a rock that was right in front of her, and threw it toward the top of a nearby building. Ron quickly turned his head to see what she was aiming at, only to see a dark shadow quickly fly away.

"Someone like him…" Kim answered.

Laughing could be heard in the air, followed by a grave voice. "And I was beginning to wonder if you would ever catch on…"

Before they knew it, someone wearing a black leather trenchcoat, with spiky jet-black hair, and a scar over his left eye was right across the street from them.

"Val…" Kim hissed.

Ron clutched his hands on her shoulders. "Kim," he whispered, "you've already gotten into one fight tonight."

Val slowly walked towards them, stopping in the middle of the street. He took his time in observing Kim's torn dress and battered body. "Well, I figured that you and Ron would have fun tonight, but this is ridiculous…" he said with a smirk.

Kim growled. "Enough. What are you doing here? Did you come to see Shego and me go at it? Did you come to see your plan of ruining a date going off as planned? I mean, look at me! Are you happy?"

Val merely shrugged his shoulders. "Well, first I'm here because, well, I used to live here. I figured I would see how little things have changed, and little they have. Second, I warned you just weeks ago that a jail cell could never hold me forever. I gave you those tickets to show you that if your arch-nemesi could escape from prison so easily, what on earth makes you think I'm less capable? Words alone are pointless, so as always I needed to prove my point. Lipsky and Go were supposed to be locked away forever, right?"

"Pretty much," Ron answered.

"And here they are as if it never happened, minus the scar on Miss Go's face," Val continued. "And yet again you fight like the schoolgirls you are."

"You set us up!" Kim yelled.

"Pah! I did no such thing," Val retorted. "I merely set the stage. _You_ chose to engage her in combat."

"No," Kim snapped back, "Shego _always_ attacks first. I could tell she wanted my blood the second she saw me, probably from that scar on her face."

"So? You chose to fight back instead of walk away," Val countered. "Surely with your own expertise in martial arts you've learned that sometimes it's best to walk away from a fight than to engage in one. I'm more than certain Sensei has told Ron such a thing. Or does your reputation mean so much to you that you don't want to be seen as a coward?"

"And this is coming from someone who's obsessed with fighting," Kim retorted. "Why not practice what you preach?"

"What makes you so certain I don't?" he asked with a sly smile. "Even I know when to walk away. After all, it was one of the first things I was taught."

"Really? _You_, walk away?" Kim asked with anything but a believable tone. "When?"

"More times than I wish to remember," he replied calmly. "But if you want to blame someone for tonight's events, blame Shego or yourself. But know that it was _not_ my intention that you came out looking like a ZZ Top concert…"

And really, Kim didn't look as bad as she thought. It wasn't like her makeup and lipstick smeared all over her face, and her cuts weren't too noticeable unless you were observing from the sides. And the black dress? Not unless you were looking for it. Her hair was a bit messy, however.

Val kept going. "… Again, based on your overreaction alone, you allow your relationship to make you prone to anger and thus, you become completely vulnerable. Pity."

He usually accepted responsibility for his actions, but Kim wasn't convinced that he didn't intend for this to happen.

She only growled as her thoughts filled her head. "JUST LEAVE ME ALONE!"

"Kim!"

Ron tried to grab her, but it was too late. Kim had already ran across the street in an attempt to attack their stalker. She first went for a right palm smash, immediately followed by a left swift uppercut, and the momentum for that was used for a clockwise roundhouse kick to the neck. When it was all done, he was nowhere to be seen.

"Just as I said. Prone to anger, and now you can't even see straight." Val was suddenly behind Ron, but not close enough to do anything to him. "Relax. As I said before, I came to visit my hometown. I did not come here to fight."

Kim started running off in Val's direction again, almost falling on her back as Ron grabbed her shoulders.

"Ron!" Kim whispered loudly, "What are you doing?"

"Don't ask me how I know this," he quietly answered, "but he's going to hurt you _real_ bad if you get close. Please, Kim, I don't want you getting hurt."

As much as Kim didn't want to listen, she stopped tugging. After all, Valia was an expert on reversals and counterattacking.

Val shook his head. "Well, at least one of us has some common sense. But don't expect Ron to be around forever to keep you on your toes, Kimberly Ann."

Kim's eyes narrowed. "No matter what you or anybody else throws at us, Val, you're not going to separate us!"

The leather-clad boy snorted as he laughed. "I no longer have an intention of doing so. I'll leave it up to you two for that."

Ron rolled his eyes. "Dude, you really think KP and I are going to break up, knowing how long we've known each other?"

Val only shook his head as he turned his attention to the moon. "If only your eyes weren't so blind to the real world."

"Way to change the subject…" Kim noted.

"On the contrary." Val replied. "You know, Middleton really is a really nice town. A nice park, places to get together, a high school with zero tolerance towards the dark side of life."

"You can blame Barkin for that one," Ron interrupted. "Yeah, I thought High School was bad until I heard everything about Upperton. So what's your point?"

"Middleton was void of parties, hardly high on alcohol and drugs…" the very things he loathed in life from past experiences, "Almost too good to be true…"

"But it was true," Kim answered. "Wait, I know where this is going. Are you still dwelling on your high school days, Val? Yeesh. Just a couple of weeks ago you were bent on destroying a senator, and you had nanomachines in your body that were supposed to kill you if you disobeyed. And you're thinking of high school?"

Val sighed. "Perhaps you're right on one thing, that a lot of things were going on just weeks ago. However, it's all over, everything. There's no need to dwell on it anymore."

"Riiiiight," Kim said sarcastically.

"But that's not the point," Val continued. "I put you two through a lot. We can all agree on that. But really, you thought it was so bad that I made your life a living hell, Kim."

"Couldn't have put it better myself."

"I only gave you a glimpse of the real world, a taste of things to come."

Kim rolled her eyes. "Hah. Do you really expect me to believe that? I've been around the world, Val."

"As have I. But you went into a relationship, actually thinking that everything would be heaven without any kind of interference? I really hope that's not your expectations for your future."

"I already said it before, Val. I'm not dumb, I know about the dark side of teen life, the things others do that not everyone approves of. I don't hear anything about those kinds of things going on in Middleton, and I consider myself lucky to avoid it. But don't think I don't know it exists."

"As cliché as this is going to sound, your luck's about to end."

Kim figured out where Val was getting at. "Look, I'm not expecting the same for college. Everything is nice down here and it'll probably stay that way, but I know Upperton isn't exactly the nicest place on earth."

Val crossed his arms. "You say it, but you haven't experienced it. This place is much worse than even I make it out to be. You tell yourself you're prepared, but mentally you're not. There's a difference. Once things kick in, neither one of you will be able to handle it. Things only sound bad, but since you never experienced it before, it'll hit you like a ton of bricks."

Kim started to slowly walk towards him, talking the entire time. "Listen, don't think that I went into this relationship not thinking about the consequences. You might think that I was blinded by love and just jumped into the fire. But no. You wanna know why I got myself into it? Because I realized during that fight at Bueno Nacho HQ how who Ron really was. I realized my feelings for him then, but we still continued to fight. Just like now. I'm not as shallow as you think I am."

Ron was listening in. Even though Kim told him the same story over and over, he sometimes found himself confused. One minute, Kim's about to give up the fight against Drakken, the next, she's bent on foiling Drakken's plan, and the next minute she's got little hearts popping out of her head.

Val's expression didn't budge. "I don't know whether to commend you or to call you stubborn. I know how your little head works, Kimberly Ann. You didn't tell yourself you'd be in for a long difficult fight; you told yourself that nothing would change. Even with your new feelings for Ron, it wouldn't change a darn thing in your fights. If anything, love would make you more powerful," he spoke with an exaggerated tone.

Something about Val's choice of words didn't surprise Kim, and she only glared at him.

He smirked at Kim's face. "Yes, even I'm capable of getting into your online diary."

Kim was quick to protest. "That was the first thing I did when I got back home!"

Ron gave Kim a strange look. He remembered it all too well. He didn't just drop Kim off and say bye, no. There was the whole thing with her mom taking a picture, the surprise of her dad approving their new relationship (which still puzzled him to this day), and Kim wouldn't let him leave without a few more kisses on the front porch.

Kim quickly became embarrassed, noticing Ron's reaction. "Okay, I mean, that was the first thing when I got _inside_!" There we go. Again she turned to Val. "So I was excited how prom turned out. You can't tell me that if the exact same thing happened to you, you can't tell me you'd act any different. I might not know everything about you, Val. But I know you'd be just as excited as I was!"

Val shrugged his shoulders, smiling lightly. "Well, when you're right, you're right. Grab a scotch, chicken strips and a loud movie. But I'm afraid I don't share the same luck as you do."

"I know, and I'm still sorry about your own situation, I really am. When I found out who Michelle was at, well, what was supposed to be your funeral, I couldn't believe how cold she was. I don't think anybody deserves that. No wonder you went mad, but it's no excuse for taking out your frustrations at me and Ron back then."

"Even I have my regrets, but I did you a favor by allowing you to be aware of your prime weakness. Besides, would you have believed me if I walked up to you and warned you that the relationship might change you for the worse?"

Kim sighed. "Why does the way I live my life concern you?"

"It doesn't," he answered. "Everything I've said then and now has all been fair warning for your own good. Don't think I don't know the effects of first love, Kim. First love seems to be so perfect at first, but it's powerful enough to destroy you too, and it will. In the business you're in, others will find out and use this against you to destroy you once and for all. What's to prevent Drakken and Shego from doing it? If I know this, others will find out as well. And yet you refuse to prepare for that, just like now."

"You're wrong," Kim argued, "You think you know what love is, Val, but you really don't. Not until you are with someone…"

He shook his head. "Oh, how I would love to leave myself vulnerable to someone I couldn't live without. Fantasizing about such a thing is nice, but there's a catch, and it's called reality, Kim. You're an asset to this world, and with the way you're acting, should anything ever happen to you and Stoppable, you won't be able to handle it at all, and your overreaction to the events earlier tonight are a dead clear indication of it. If things go for the worse, you'll fall not only as a hero, but a person. Yes, you're Kim Possible, yes, you've said thousands of lives over the years and persevered through every challenge of your life, but even you won't be able to recover from it. You will fail in everything you do and it may even wind up killing you. You may not see this, but it's clear in my eyes, just like your weaknesses. No matter how strong we may be, the ability to love is both a gift and a curse. Just because one happens don't assume the other won't. It's killed a good part of me, and it can and will have the same effect on you."

Kim was growing aggravated again. "You always think you're right, don't you?"

Val was quick to answer. "Believe me; see the world through my eyes, and you _pray_ for the day that you're proven wrong. You just hope to the bottom of your heart that you're wrong about everything. You'd be surprised how depressing being right is."

Kim groaned. "Look, just leave us alone, Val. Why is this so important to you? I know what you've gone through, but I'm not going to let anybody tell me how to live my life! And especially not you!"

Val only sighed. "How predictable. Advice is never heeded by those who need it the most. Just don't say I never warned you. Well, my apologies your night had to end like this, but as I said before, it was your actions, not mine, that resulted in this. Farewell for now."

Before Kim could attempt to charge at him and screw up any kind of escape attempt, Val spun himself and suddenly disappeared ninja-style. Like Ron, he also trained at Yamanuchi, but at a much younger age.

Kim let out a disgruntled sigh. "He is so annoying."

She noticed Ron wouldn't let go, gently wrapping both arms around her. "Don't worry about him. He's gone. Look, there's still a night ahead of us. Are you sure you don't want to just go home, change and just try to enjoy the rest of the night? I don't think you want to stick around here and have some guy take a picture and be on the front cover."

Kim sighed, remembering how terrible she thought she looked. "You're right. I just wanted a night where I didn't have to worry about anything going wrong. I just wanted to look great, feel great, and have the night end perfectly."

Ron tightened his grip on Kim. "Look, just don't think too much about him, okay? I know he's been a thorn in the relationship, but don't obsess over it."

"I'll try not to." Kim let out another sigh. "You know, I never did get this way before he came around."

"Because we started going out like two or three days before, KP. We weren't just best friends anymore. I can't stand to see you get hurt, and you're the same way. Things change, just like you said."

"Sometimes I should just keep my mouth shut," Kim thought out loud without realizing it. She noticed it when Ron glared at her. "Okay, maybe we should just get out of here. Did you have anything in mind?"

"Sure," Ron said with a slight smile. "Just a walk in the park back home. You don't need to bring fancy makeup or a nice dress, just you."

"That works for me."

Ron lent Kim his coat, something he would have done sooner if she didn't dart off from frustration and anger before Val's appearance. After she finally accepted, they hopped on Ron's new bike and drove off.

* * *

Meanwhile, Val walked out a nearby ally and watched as the two drove off. Had Kim or Ron looked in the rear view mirrors, they would have seen that he was standing right behind them. 

He only sighed to himself. "You'll never learn. I guess you'll just have to learn things the hard way, then."

After that, he told himself that he wouldn't find himself involved in their relationship anymore, and that it was inevitable that things go sour for Kim and Ron. Not only because he felt the collapse of the relationship would result in Kim's final demise, but he knew that the couple irritated each other in the past. If their feelings of liking each other would be amplified by a kiss on a dance, no doubt their feelings of irritation and annoyance would be, too. But instead, Kim took out her anger on Val, not Ron.

He leapt onto a lamppost, and from there leapt onto the side of a building. He sprinted all the way up to the roof, looking ahead to the speeding motorbike. The first thing he noticed was that Kim, nearly a half mile away, was staring at him. The moon was at the same level he was at, so his silhouette wasn't hard to miss. She looked away shortly after, clutching onto Ron.

No more, he thought. Besides, he had something else he felt the need to do, but it would require time.

However, Kim had other ideas. This wasn't going to happen anymore, and she was going to do something about it. This was worse than Drakken using a syntho-drone to play with her feelings.

Speaking of whom, a speeding cruiser had taken off behind Val. He slowly turned around to observe it, seeing a rather enraged woman in a black and green outfit driving, forcing her boss to take shotgun. The blue fellow seemed to notice the kid on the roof, and they exchanged eye contact for some time. There were no signs of respect or hostility between the two. Just neutral stares toward one another.

Drakken had actually heard everything that went on between Possible and Ryan in the back of a nearby building. He overheard while Shego was trying to start up the cruiser, but grew more irritated that the hovercraft refused to turn on. She wasn't aware of what happened, but he heard every word. Just then, a thought had come to mind, so good that he didn't want to tell Shego. With his last great scheme, he thought by not telling her what the plan was, that Kim would fall. But he still told Shego, and he still wound up losing.

But the plan wasn't fully developed. Drakken had an idea all right, and it involved this new kid that kept Kim busy while he was away. But he wasn't sure how he was going to do it. He wasn't going to tell Shego, though. She was already pissed off as it was.

When the mean team could no longer be seen, Val jumped from building to building, no longer concerned with Kim or the two in the hovercraft.

"So… _that_ was Drakken and Shego."

Just as he said that, he came to a realization. There was going to be some point in the future where they would meet.

He wasn't concerned at all. For himself, that is.

Suddenly, his head was moving in all kinds of directions, with eyes rolling to the back of his head. It looked like he was going to throw up, and his head shot forward, letting out all kinds of strange noises. For about twenty seconds he was doing this, and when it was all over, he lifted his head with an exhausted look, staring at the object in his hands.

Several pieces of tissue paper, all soaked with blood. Now why on earth would he have a bloody nose?

Easy: As much as he tried to hide it, not even he could withstand the awesome and mysterious power of Kim's LBD.

Staring at all the blood in the tissue, only one word could come out of his mouth.

"Wow…"

* * *

_December 15th, 2006_

"Kim? Kim?" could be heard over and over.

Kim moaned as her eyes opened, seeing nothing but blue in her wake. She could clearly make out Wade on her side. "Wha… What is it?"

"Sorry, you looked like you were having some kind of nightmare. Not fun to watch."

Kim rubbed her head. "I was… What time is it?"

Wade looked to his watch. "It's almost 2. We should land in Tokyo in a couple of hours, and hopefully we can get to the bus station soon after."

Now that Kim was awake, she sat upward and rubbed her eyes, yawned, and slouched in her seat. "At least it won't be like spending hours finding a decent plane like this morning."

She noticed that Wade didn't really respond, looking somewhat troubled.

"What's wrong?"

Wade was still typing on his laptop. "I just can't figure out why I haven't been able to find Yamanuchi's exact location. I found out the info on it almost a couple of years back, about it being a top secret ninja school, but every time I tried to crack its location, it won't show up. Something's definitely blocking my satellite trackers and sensors."

"Well, Monkey Fist _did_ find the school, but that was only because one of Sensei's students sold him out and told him where it was, back when Ron first went there. He told me that when people want to join or are meant to go there, they don't find the school, but the school finds them or something like that. No one's been able to locate it otherwise, unless you've already been there."

"Right, I was there when he told you."

"You were? But that was on another date, unless…"

"Um… you left the Kimmunicator on again, Kim. Putting it in your pocket doesn't turn it off, you know."

"Wade! You have so got to stop eavesdropping!"

"Hey, I stay out of your mushy mushy romance talks! But if there's something informative I don't know… yeah, uh, guilty!"

Slightly frustrated, Kim turned away and put the blankets back on, covering her from head to toe. Yet there was a small opening for her eyes, in which a long strand of hair came peeking out. "Just wake me when we land…"

Her tone just didn't intimidate him, and he couldn't help but smile as he looked out towards the snow. It was finally looking like December for once.


	15. 14: A Vaporous Absence of Blossoms

Six notes:  
1) You'll see a little homage/ tribute to one of my favorite fics on the site, but giving the author away now would make it far too obvious. I'm also assuming most if not all people have read it, and if not… CRAP!  
2) This chapter is loaded with a ton of references. However, the part regarding more background between this story and the last was NOT influenced by specific sites! I just learned about it the other day and I thought up this story back in what, November? And some references are taken from shows I've yet to watch!  
3) This may make you curious to watch a specific episode again. Spam included. Joy!  
4) Anyone who hates long chapters will want me dead now. Longest chapter so far. And I told myself this wasn't going to be long or complicated when I first started… I didn't want to split this chapter, too. I don't care if this winds up being 300,000 words, this story is uncut, unedited and uncensored. The full deal.  
5) And I hope it all makes sense without striking any plot holes…  
6) I had to change the character list in the opening Prologue comments so that it matches up this time. I failed to mention some characters, and in this case I created another one.

**Chapter 14: A Vaporous Absence of Blossoms**

**

* * *

**Kim and Wade knew it wouldn't be easy to find a top secret ninja school, especially when the bus dropped you off in the middle of nowhere. If anything, it was anticipated. Fortunately the weather wasn't cold at all. It was snowing over the ocean, but once their plane entered Japan, everything cleared up and it was sunny all over again. A warm winter covered almost the entire globe sans Europe. It was strange.

Thankfully, Kim and Wade weren't exactly dropped off in a place with empty fields for miles and miles. But it wasn't any easier being stuck in what appeared to be a forest on both sides of the road. Being winter, the trees were far from bloom, giving the two a peaceful yet somewhat desolate feeling of where they were at. The two had been hiking for nearly a half hour, and it was a half hour away from sunset. It was only a quarter to four.

Kim grunted at herself. She should've known that Val wasn't going to give her Yamanuchi's exact location, or at least carry it on him. While they were at the places he indicated, longitude and latitude, there was no sign of any trails or openings hidden in the trees. Like before, Wade carried a tracking device to see if he could still find the school, but it wasn't working. Something was interfering, and he refused to believe it was anything but electronic.

Kim was pretty sure she wasn't too far, however. The bus driver appeared to know exactly where the longitude and latitude coordinates were, and she told herself it was going to be the most ridiculous question she ever asked, but it was a crazy idea and crazy enough to work. And the guy was a lot younger than most bus drivers she ran into, not to mention he carried a mysterious and quiet personality. It was too obvious for her what he really was, and that's the only reason she accepted his offer to drive.

And she already knew where this was going, and what Val had really intended for her. A ninja wasn't going to pop out of nowhere and guide her.

No, she had to find the place all by herself.

A few more minutes had passed before Kim noticed something different in the trees, stopping in place. Wade on the other hand was exhausted from the walking, and ran straight into her. She felt bad for him because of all the walking he had to do, and yet there was much more to come. She walked toward a tree, but unlike the rest all of its leaves were still on it. A marker for lost students? She walked past it and didn't stop.

Unfortunately, when Ron told her about his experience at Yamanuchi for the first time, he didn't mention anything that helped lead to its location. Maybe there were multiple ways to the school. Kim was growing skeptical if that marker really was a marker. Nothing in the scenery had changed, and she almost felt the need to go back, but she didn't know which way back was. So she kept forward. The worst that could happen is if she and Wade had to camp out for the night.

Right there and then, she managed to get out of what felt like an endless maze of trees. She made sure Wade was behind her the whole time, and he got out shortly after. While they were still in the forest, things looked different. There were now rocks and a river, but the trail was the most apparent and Kim went by that. But there were no footsteps in the dirt. She knew she was in the right place. If ninjas left their trail behind like that, she'd be a lot more concerned. The dirt trail only lasted so long, and she and Wade had to rely on walking on huge, flat rocks.

They soon reached what appeared to be the end of the road. Nothing but a waterfall, a dead end. However, the rock trail seemed to have gone past the waterfall, probably behind it. Hard to miss? Not with her. She let Wade take a short break, and then they went under. From there the trail had gotten a lot steeper, and if they didn't know that they were climbing Mount Yamanuchi, they sure did now.

Finally, the journey came to an end when they approached a huge canyon with a bridge on it. On the other side was the gate to Yamanuchi.

While she calmly walked across the bridge without any fear in her head, the same couldn't be said for Wade, who feared the bridge would come alive and shake him off. Kim kept a close distance, which made him feel a lot less tense. It was probably a minute before they crossed it, and from there, they were on the school grounds.

However, the school was extremely quiet. The trees were no less lively than the ones near the highway road, but it felt… abandoned. The two had expected to see ninjas in all kinds of training, probably suspicious to their presence, and maybe even being attacked by those who weren't familiar with her.

Just then, in the blink of an eye, Kim and Wade were completely surrounded by Yamanuchi's hundreds of students, armed with various things from swords, staffs and fans. She could see in their eyes that not one was friendly.

"It is all right. Kim Possible and her friend are guests. They are not trespassers," a humble and familiar voice told the students. "Please return to your training."

Rescinding what was going to be their attack, the students bowed their head towards Kim and Wade and leapt away, revealing their instructor.

"Sensei… It's good to see you again," Kim said as she bowed. Wade did the same.

And Sensei returned the gesture. "Kim Possible, I am pleasantly surprised to see that you found the school all by yourself. I see that you live up to your reputation. But may I ask what brings you here?"

Straight to business. "Sensei, I really, really…. reeeeeaaaaaaalllly need to talk to you. Something has gone _horribly_ wrong."

Kim and Wade now saw what they expected: several students training. Many were practicing stances and fighting formations, some were sparing, and some were creating their own smoke bombs and testing them. She didn't want the school to suddenly turn into a gossiping frenzy.

She briefly cleared her throat. "You don't suppose we can talk privately about the matter, do you?"

Sensei understood the importance of the matter there and then. "Of course. Please, follow me."

This was actually Kim's first time to the school itself, as with Wade, but then again it was his first time with just about everything. They watched as the students continued their training, but not all of them were the ninjas Kim pictured. While many of them were tall, lean, fit, and extremely skilled, some weren't. Some newbies were struggling with their martial arts, some weren't fit at all, but you could tell they were doing their best. But what puzzled her was that some weren't extremely serious. It wasn't that they were joking around, but some of the girls were talking with their male sparring partners, and with the little Japanese she knew, they weren't just talking about fighting techniques.

The two were led to a place where few students have been: his quarters. It was no more than a small empty room, one which was heavily decorated. The wooden floor was just a wooden floor, but many weapons, awards and even pictures hung on the walls. There was an entryway to another room in the back, and it smelled like something was cooking. It was a familiar smell but Kim couldn't put her finger on it, but she also felt a lot more relaxed in this room. It was probably where Sensei meditated to himself or this was his place to get away from everything.

He sat down on the floor on one side of the room, and Kim and Wade did the same near the entrance, gently putting their bags behind them.

Sensei hollered to the back, "We have two extra guests!" No response, but a ninja wouldn't need to. Knowing his words were acknowledged, he began as he leaned his head toward Kim.

"What seems to be the matter, Kim Possible?"

She was quick to respond with a fierce look of seriousness in her face. "Sensei, it's Ron. The mystical monkey powers… they've done something to him."

His gentle expression kept firm. "It is as I had expected. Ron Stoppable is now finally becoming the true monkey master. I expected for him to go through some alterations, some may which be unexpected but all of which are temporary. It is natural. I have told him that there will come a time where his true powers will awaken and he will help bring peace to the world. It is nothing to worry about, Kim."

How can you respond to that? How do you tell an elderly martial arts master like Sensei that he has no clue what he is talking about, that he's misinformed or not exactly up-to-date? If there was one thing Ron did tell Kim about Yamanuchi, it was that the training wasn't easy. But if you were on a more advanced level that Ron soon came to be, it was a nightmare. It wasn't that Sensei was a brutal person, but sometimes with how Ron described it, she couldn't help but wonder. But she had to take the risk.

"Sensei… with all due respect…" a rather incredulous Kim resented, almost appearing to be laughing, "I really don't think that's the situation. No, this isn't some strange alteration at all. Ron… he's no longer the person I grew up with at all…"

Sensei sighed. "I am sorry, but this is his destiny. It is something that cannot be changed."

Kim refused to believe it and stood up. "Sensei, the Ron I fell in love with wouldn't have turned into an aggressive and violent person. He wouldn't have yelled at me the way he did… He wouldn't have said what he said… Sensei… he's become _EVIL_…"

Suddenly, several dishes fell on the floor, shattering throughout the back door, accompanied by a familiar silhouette, shock written all over her face.

"No…" she said with a shaky voice.

Yori. But what was she doing here at the school if she was already a graduate? Embarrassed at her spill, she quickly cleaned up the mess with a rag.

Despite how freaked out she appeared, Yori also appeared to have gone through a lot in the past year. While she still wore her red hairpiece and her hairstyle remained unchanged, something looked different in her eyes. She was also no longer in the student shinobi shokuzu (ninja uniform), but was wearing a really pretty kimono.

Tossing everything into a small trash bin next to her, she quickly got up and franticly walked towards Kim.

"No…" she spoke again with an extremely shaky voice, "That… that can't be so! Stoppable-san… evil…? No! Whoever you saw was not Stoppable-san! There's no way on earth he could ever turn evil!"

Kim gently grabbed her by her shoulders. "I'm sorry Yori, but it's the truth. Ron…"

Sensei cleared his throat. "Sit down, both of you. And Yori, please regain your composure."

Without missing a beat, the girls did so. Kim suddenly had so many questions for Yori, but that would come later. Their attention was on Sensei.

"_Evil_, you say?" he asked skeptically.

"Yes…" Kim quietly answered. "The Ron I know… he wouldn't try to kill anyone… If I didn't intervene, he was definitely going to kill him, no doubt about it." While she told herself she was going to be calm in this, the images came back to mind as she mentioned them, confusing her hosts.

"Kill?" Sensei asked.

"Him?" Yori asked.

"The one who helped me find him… Valia Ryan…"

With this, both Sensei and Yori gasped.

Yori was surprised at the fact that Kim would actually work with him. Both she and her mentor were more than well-aware of Ryan's growing abilities and what bloodshed and mayhem he caused, along with the rest of students in Yamanuchi. They had both engaged him in combat before and knew how powerful he was (on Yori's part, it wasn't a pleasant memory and one she wished to forget), so they knew it wasn't all talk. While they had confidence in Ron, they never expected this. Kill? Four blows?

Sensei really just couldn't believe it. "You… You are sure you saw… what you saw?"

"Sensei, I am totally serious. Valia told me that Ron struck him with four near-fatal blows without releasing his custom-made spear. He said that Ron used forbidden techniques, but in the styles of Tiger Swallow, Mantis, and Tai Shing Pek Kwar, things that should have been lost a long time ago."

"And you are certain this is the result of the mystical monkey powers?"

"He doesn't even _look_ like Ron anymore. Red hateful eyes, that creepy voice filled with so much hate, and all that hair. He looked like an animal. I mean, Val used Ron as a guinea pig in the past, so it's no surprise that Ron attacked him. I never thought I'd see Val in such a weakened state again… But Ron said he wasn't Ron Stoppable anymore, and saying something about being the ultimate martial artist, he was going to find everyone he could to get to the top. He's out of control. But Sensei, he even threatened to kill _me_."

Sensei appeared to be in thought until something came to mind. "Yori, fetch me the Lotus Blade."

She was gone before Kim could even turn her head, and back in less than ten seconds.

However, the fabled sword was no longer sealed in a glass case. Instead, it was held inside a protective and decorative red box. Sensei took the box from Yori, gently put it on the floor, and opened it as quietly as he could.

He was thrown back through the wall not a second later. However, Yori took the full blow.

She anticipated the worst as she carried the box through the school grounds, feeling a dark energy from inside. Just as Sensei had opened it, she dashed behind him. So when the powers of the box threw him, he collided with her, and she was the one who struck the wall.

Neither were harmed.

"Thank you, Yori."

She bowed to him after getting up. "It was my honor… I couldn't allow you to get hurt."

Kim was impressed at Yori's speed. Same with Wade.

But the room was suddenly illuminated entirely in an eerie violet glow. Sensei walked toward the box where the Lotus Blade was held in and observed what was inside. Yori appeared to be shocked when she saw everything for herself.

Sensei sighed. "I am sorry for ever doubting you, Kim Possible."

He turned the box around so that Kim and Wade could see what was inside, and they were no less shocked. The Lotus Blade was now a pitch-black sword engulfed with purple flames. In those flames, the faces of fallen martial artists could be seen screaming, all with horrified and painful expressions. There was nothing to be heard, but the sight was pretty gruesome. Sensei closed the box soon afterward.

"What… _was_ that?" Kim asked.

Sensei explained. "The Lotus Blade can only be wielded by those who possess the Mystical Monkey Powers. But such powers can only be used when the holder of the powers has a pure heart. It goes without saying that not only are the Mystical Monkey Powers fully corrupted, but Stoppable-san's heart has grown dark, shrouded in abhorrence and rage."

They were all familiar with the background of the mystical monkey powers, but a refresher didn't hurt.

Sensei looked at the box with the cursed blade inside. "The many prophecies say that in a time where destruction runs rampant in a society where values are lost, a time where people cannot accept one another's beliefs and tastes, when those of a youthful generation are lost without ideals and a drive to succeed in life, where people grow selfish and only seek their own desires without a care for any other human being, in a time where hope grows rare, the mystical monkey powers reveals itself to the world and seeks a savior. Once receiving these powers, the chosen one will become the ultimate monkey master. With his skills and knowledge, he shall deliver peace to the world and cleanse the evil away forever. It was no accident that Ron Stoppable received the powers, for he was chosen for his pure heart and innocence."

Kim intervened. "But Sensei, Ron isn't the only one with the mystical monkey powers. Monkey Fist has them too, but he seems to have aged quite a bit from when I last saw him. And Rufus also possesses them, but I haven't seen how he turned out."

"And that is what troubles me. You see, Kim Possible, according to the legends, the mystical monkey powers were only meant for the chosen one, never meant to be shared with another. It was a surprise to learn that three were able to gain such powers, and that it had not affected them. I must say that I was not fully aware of this fact when Yori first brought Stoppable-san to the school. I was under the impression, based on the reactions of the Lotus Blade, that the powers had selected a chosen one and Stoppable-san alone received the powers."

"So you're saying no one else was supposed to be able to receive them other than whoever was 'chosen'?" Kim asked.

"Precisely. It has been said that others have tried to seize the powers, but they were all rejected, for they were not worthy or pure of heart. When Yori informed me - after Stoppable-san's first departure - that he, Rufus-san and Monkey Fist all possessed the powers, I had feared the worst. In ancient times, many had tried to develop mystical powers similar to those of which we speak. While only the true masters were able create these powers - to pass their knowledge and abilities down to a worthy soul, so he or she could use them for the goodness of all mankind - several others wished to seize these powers solely for power. Realizing they would never be able to create such a thing, traitors of the Shaolin way seeking unspeakable powers were successful in drawing these powers through artificial means and managed to split them so they could be shared, something that was forbidden. It was a dark period. Twelve fighters managed to split the Mystical Dragon Powers and shared it amongst themselves for the sole purpose of learning powerful techniques so they could be the strongest in the world. However, it was not long before they turned brutally violent, so much that they destroyed their homes, villages and families without care, and sought out more to fight or kill. They growled no different than fierce animals and even became cannibals, feeding on whoever they had slain in combat. But their journey of destruction did not last long, as they looked at each other as the only worthy opponents, and all twelve of them fought each other to the death. All because the powers were split, becoming corrupted, and only in their death were the Dragon powers released from their bodies, and thus turned back to normal."

He just had to put 'death' and 'back to normal' in the same sentence, didn't he?

Kim was puzzled. "But Sensei, if you knew of the threat, why didn't you tell Ron?"

Sensei sighed. "With the twelve monks, the transformation was immediate. In the times I had met Stoppable-san, he behaved no differently than an ordinary teenager, without any knowledge of what destiny he was to fulfill. Even when you all saved me from that Amy woman, he showed no signs of violence. I believed that, even with Monkey Fist and Rufus-san being able to wield the Lotus Blade, that perhaps all of them wouldn't fall into the curse. I made the conclusion that perhaps it was nothing, that perhaps the tale of the twelve monks was a story given to me as a child to teach me not to engage in martial arts simply for power." He sounded depressed.

"Forgive my interruption, Sensei," Yori joined in, "but you said that the powers would seek out the chosen one. But we learned that Stoppable-san, Rufus-san and Monkey Fist all gained the powers through the Jade Monkey statues."

"Such statues may have been the creation of the corrupted monks to seize the powers and give them to others. Some may have wished to destroy their creations, and others may have wished only to do away with them, not to destroy them. But under normal circumstances the powers would seek out a chosen one. I also thought that it was coincidence that Stoppable-san receive these powers through nontraditional means."

This all sounded believable to Kim, but something was just off. "Can we confirm that this is exactly what's happening? What if something else corrupted the powers? What if someone found a way to manipulate the magic today? It's not that I don't believe you, Sensei, but I don't think when it comes to mystical powers, that they're really simple."

"You are correct," he answered, "Throughout the millennia many have attempted to shape such powers for their own needs, through supernatural powers lost in time, science and technology, but every time they have failed, and most with their lives. Unfortunately, I am not familiar with all of the events that took place that fateful day, when Stoppable-san, Monkey Fist and Rufus-san obtained the powers, to form a solid conclusion."

Kim quickly pulled out her Kimmunicator. "Wade?"

"Yeah?" A voice from behind answered.

She totally forgot he was there, sitting to her right but behind her. Whenever she needed recorded information, Kim always relied on the Kimmunicator. But it didn't even turn on, since she never put the batteries back in, removing them when the black suits tried to track the signal. As much as she wished to explain the details to Sensei, she wasn't exactly there when it happened, either.

She was beyond embarrassed, and both Wade and Yori tried not to giggle.

"Wade, you wouldn't happen to have footage of what happened that day on you, would you?"

There was a brief moment of silence in the room.

Wade smirked as he pulled out his laptop. "I figured a day like this would come, so I recorded some of the more important and memorable missions onto this long before the black suits came in."

Kim let out a long relieved sigh. "Wade, you so rock."

He arranged the laptop so that it was closed, but with the screen facing toward the ceiling. Right there and then, a holographic interface appeared, being some kind of video player, opening a file called _Monkey Fist Strikes.m4v_. They all witnessed the events unfold, with Ron and what was supposedly Kim, as they approached the home of Lord Montgomery Fiske.

"_So what made you decide to do the virtual flake after all?" _Ron asked on the hologram.

"_Wade _really_ wanted to test out the Holo-Kim," '_Kim' answered.

After a slight pause, Ron cleared his throat._ "Are we going to ring the doorbell? Knock? Something?"_

"_Uh, yeah. Doorbell."_

Kim could hardly believe how things had changed so much since then. Probably the most curious among them was Yori, who was rather interested in the past Kim and Ron shared together, before they even had thoughts of having feelings for each other.

* * *

(Insert further footage of "Monkey Fist Strikes" and/ or an iTunes spam promo to grab the eppie here)

* * *

An hour later, they had all viewed the footage many times. While they had all made several conclusions about it, they were all the same. 

First of all, Kim had originally thought that the MMP resulted in a slight appearance change in Monkey Fist; that his face looked similar to a monkey's. However, based on the Wade's footage, that wasn't true. He already looked like one, maybe even more surgery from DNAmy, but it was only apparent when he grew psychotic. It was noticeable before he received the powers.

Kim also realized something she never noticed before. With some of her enemies and allies, their appearance changed based on their mood. When Drakken was good, he had normal skin color. When he was evil, he turned blue. When Val was truly calm, his eyes shined like diamonds, but when bitter, they were almost no different than the whites of his eyes. With Monkey Fist, when he wasn't entirely concerned with the MMP, he looked human, but when maniacal, he looked like a monkey. Weird.

The second thing they all caught in the footage was how each of them received the powers. With Monkey Fist, the Jade Monkey statues gave him the power, but his appearance didn't change, and his skills didn't seem to improve one bit. After all, he was already a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar. While he was embracing the powers given to him, they all wondered if he was acting that way because he really was receiving the true powers, or he was overwhelmed just by the _thought_ of receiving them. He did get some of the powers, but what did it really do to him?

But how Fiske received the powers was nowhere as important as how Ron received them. What was clearly noticeable was that the Jade Monkey statues reacted differently to Ron than Fist. They took their time building up their powers, almost as if they recognized Ron as the chosen one. Not only that, but the glow was completely different between the two. With Monty, the glow of the powers was circle-shaped and pure yellow. With Ron, it outlined his body and the glow itself was mostly orange, a color that was almost completely absent in Fiske's taking of the powers.

They could all tell the orange wasn't exactly good. It could have also been due to the fact that Rufus was also involved, but that couldn't be concluded.

While Fist got all excited thinking he received the powers, Ron was definitely, as he put it, "feeling it." When Ron received the powers, he showed a significant change in his knowledge of monkey kung fu, while Monty showed, well, none.

One line from Fist, however, confirmed their fears.

"_No! Mystical Monkey Power is reserved for me and me alone!"_

They all agreed. The powers were meant only for one, but once split it was unstable and uncontrollable. Because Monkey Fist knew the powers wouldn't choose him, he decided to find an alternative way, using the Jade Monkeys to give him the power. But he didn't know the powers would still reject him, at least for the most part. He also didn't anticipate any other kind of interference such as Ron or Rufus.

"But why is this all happening _now_?" Kim asked.

Yori answered. "One who possesses the powers do not learn everything over a short course of time. When the powers find its carrier to be ready, all of which depend on everything from maturity to bravery, they truly awaken inside the chosen one, unveiling the ultimate monkey master to the world. He then given _all_ the skills to do what is necessary to help mankind. However, because the powers have become corrupted and unstable…"

"…It has instead turned him into a being of pure hatred and anger," Sensei finished, "even affecting his physical appearance entirely as you said. You said Monkey Fist had aged?"

Kim rubbed her nose briefly before answering. "He looked a lot older and had a lot more facial hair, a beard now that I think about it, reminding me of that one elderly master guy… Oh, what was his name…?"

"Pai Mei?" Yori asked.

"No, he didn't have the long twirly beard or the long hair."

"Obi-Wan Kenobi?" Wade pitched in.

"Nope."

"Mr. Miyagi?" Sensei guessed.

"Monkey Fist wasn't bald."

"Oh, what is it…" Wade was thinking, "Uncle Iroh?"

Kim shook her head.

Sensei took another guess. "Lau Chan?"

"Who?"

"Jeong Jeong?" Yori guessed.

"That's the one!" Kim confirmed. "Not as much hair, but yeah. Something like that. I didn't really even remember that small mustache until now. Ron turned into some kind of psychopath beast, but he didn't exactly resemble a monkey or an ape. Monkey Fist aged, but kept all of his sanity, so I think it's affecting Ron the most. But Sensei, please tell me. Can Ron be saved? Can… that appearance of his, can it be reversed?"

Silence.

Sensei got up and turned around, but he didn't take any steps forward.

"I believe there is still hope left. The Powers can only be turned back to normal in one of two ways. One, as mentioned, the carriers must all no longer be of this world…" Death, "… _or_, they must have their powers removed from them at the same time. None of us wish for the former, but for us to succeed in the latter, the mystical monkey powers must be taken away from them the same way they all received them."

Kim hung her head. "But… the Jade Monkey statues were completely destroyed…"

Sensei raised an eyebrow. "Do not be so certain."

Yori and Wade were no less confused than Kim was, all witnessing as Sensei opened up one of the floorboards and pulled something from under it. He kept it concealed in his arms with his back facing them.

"You see, while corrupt martial artists found ways to manipulate ancient powers, they were so proud of their creations that they ensured their own technology could never be destroyed. Among their corrupt works was this…"

Sensei turned back to reveal the two objects he held in his hand. Kim had never seen it before, but she clearly recognized it.

"The… the _Tempus Simia?_ But that was destroyed years ago in… the… the… future?"

Again, Yori and Wade were completely confused. Sensei wasn't surprised the least bit. In one hand he held the head, and in the other its body, which had something in it to prevent it from clapping. Tell Tale Heart anyone?

"Kim, you know what that is?" Wade asked.

"Yeah… It's… I don't get it… I learned about it years ago… but it doesn't make sense… Ron was in… he moved… strudel… Time Monkey… Time travel."

Depending on the way you looked at it, it was good or bad. Kim was making all kinds of bizarre faces, holding her head as if it were in pain. She looked more confused than anything, hearing all kinds of voices and experiencing memories that shouldn't have been there. And just as fast as it happened, it stopped. It all came back to her.

Sensei placed the two objects on the floor and observed her.

"You remember now, do you not?" he calmly asked.

"I do…" she replied, "Monkey Fist teamed up with Drakken, Shego and Killigan to steal this. Then they used it and tried to kill me in the past. But they couldn't. Shego stole it and took over the future. But she had Ron and I separated…"

Suddenly, everything hit her. Not just on what happened before, but it was more clear than ever _why_ she was in a severely weakened state. Before Ron left, Kim Possible lived up to her name, able to do anything without fear and always with a calm and cool attitude, and led by example no matter what. But when Ron left, everything went downhill. She couldn't think right, form smart decisions in danger, most of which were life-threatening, couldn't tackle multiple tasks, everything. She couldn't operate without Ron. She knew it, everyone else knew it.

"Yes, I am fully aware of the events that took place," Sensei told her.

It was similar to that. Shego separated Kim and Ron and succeeded in taking over the future. Kim remembered not seeing her future self or future Ron. There was only one reason Shego succeeded in taking over the world, and why there was no future Kim or future Ron. They were both dead. Shego managed to finish both of them off thanks to the separation. With no one else to fight her, the world was hers. The death of the two heroes resulted in Rufus 3000 going back in time, to warn young teenage Kim and Ron of what was to happen. Best not to let the two teens even think about how they died.

But something didn't feel right. Wouldn't someone like Valia Ryan stand up to Empress Shego and likely overthrow her?

Shego separated the two teens long before they had a chance to realize feelings for each other. Ryan attacked Kim and Ron because of the sole fact that they got together, and as a result, got his memories back and realized what he wanted to do; to fight for a better future regardless of those who stood in his way. Since Shego didn't let the two get into the relationship, Ryan would still be a heartbroken and maniacal teenager without a care for anyone, perhaps embracing the end of the world. He wouldn't have realized what he truly stood for if not for his first defeat at the hands of a girlfriend Kim and a boyfriend Ron.

There was no way Shego could have been responsible for Ron's current condition, but had it not been for Ryan's interference, not just his experience with the two, but also with him saving Kim from death several times, the dark future would have taken place.

There were endless scenarios. Kim lost Ron and couldn't fight anymore, losing the will to fight and live. Shego took over the world. But never getting together and never meeting Ryan, he wouldn't have opposed Shego. That was the old scenario. Now say if Kim and Ron did get together, but she lost him and couldn't fight anymore, Shego could have still taken over the world. But Ryan, now meeting the two because of their relationship, fighting them and getting his memories back, now protected Kim and ensured she didn't die. Because of this, Shego wasn't able to take advantage of Kim's Ronless weakness, finish her off and rule the world. But even if she did, Ryan remained a threat. It was complicated, but overall, Kim realized not only did the relationship change everything so much for both better and worse, but she also owed Val a lot more than she originally thought. No big, though.

She wasn't going to allow this dark future take place. She was going to do everything she could to save Ron, no matter the risks or costs. She couldn't deny the fact that she couldn't operate without him, and she tried so much to do everything alone but couldn't without him. She was far from useless, but she realized she wasn't the ultimate force in the world. No one was invincible, and neither was she.

But if the Tempus Simia survived, no doubt the Jade Monkey statues did, too.

"So first, I've gotta obtain the four statues. Second, get Ron, Fist and Rufus in one place, and remove their powers with the statues. Third, transfer the powers back only to Ron…"

Not really that different than the Attitudinator, huh? Only this time, it was going to be much, much more difficult.

"… but Ron and Fist definitely wouldn't agree to the operation, but I'm way more concerned with Ron."

"Why is that?" Yori asked.

"You know what Ron did to Val," Kim quickly answered. "And Monkey Fist? Come on, I don't know what cereal box he pulled that black belt from."

"And what makes you so certain Monkey Fist may not prove to be a bigger threat than Stoppable-san?" Sensei asked. "There is a chance he has also gained lethal abilities through the powers."

Crap.

Sensei shook his head. "But I am afraid it will not be so easy to obtain the Statues of the Jade Monkey. " When we learned that the Tempus Simia was not destroyed, I had a group of my students seek it out. While it was originally held inside a temple in Australia, one of my top students, Eiji, located it in not too far from here in a temple that was not there before. Yori, could you find Eiji for me?"

"Of course."

Five seconds later, Yori came back with a peculiar-looking ninja. It was clear that he was among the top ranks, wearing some kind of advanced ninja outfit made almost entirely in black leather, and he was packed to the bone. He wore a long red scarf around his neck that ended near his toes. He didn't have his face covered, having similar hair to Val and with a face that was no less serious. Surprisingly good looking, too, and while not much taller than Yori, he wasn't exactly packed and huge. But his English was perfect, with an accent that was hard to notice.

Eiji bowed to his knees once he entered the room. "You require my services, Sensei?"

"Yes. I need for you to explain to Kim Possible your journey on recovering the Tempus Simia."

Noticing the redhead next to him, he shook her hand with both of his, still on one knee. "Kim Possible? I have heard much."

"Pleasure to meet you," Kim said humbly. "So what's this about the Tempus Simia?"

Eiji got on both knees, but since the room was already crowded near the door, all but Sensei made room for him.

Then he began. "We all realized that the Lotus Blade was reacting to a nearby power source, and Sensei needed somebody to find out what it was. I, an inexperienced practitioner then, humbly offered my services and took a group of students with me toward the location. We traveled for five days, but our search was unsuccessful, finding only empty fields in which trees bloomed earlier in the week. But the Lotus Blade was still anything but idle, and while I am not one who possesses the mystical monkey power, unable to change its form, I asked Sensei if I could arm myself with it in another search."

Yori briefly intervened. "I would have offered my assistance but I was not back in the school grounds then. This was a long time ago, Possible-san. I am sorry for my interruption, Eiji-san. Please continue."

"It was my honor to go in your place. But only when I held an object in which its origins belonged to the mystical powers, only then was I able to see the temple. The other students couldn't until they touched the blade. I am glad Yori was not in attendance, only because to this day, it was the greatest challenge I had ever faced and far too dangerous for any other student to pursue. But in the end I was able to retrieve both pieces of the Tempus Simia, and returned to Yamanuchi. But in retrieving it, I could only escape the invisible temple with the Tempus Simia in hand and not the Lotus Blade."

Sensei took it from there. "We feared he might have lost his life until he returned, for the journey was longer than even I had anticipated. I am not sure why the temple was rendered invisible, but as Eiji has said, it appears that these temples appeared in places where there never was a temple to begin with, and that they can only be seen with relics that are linked to the mystical monkey powers. But this took place almost a year ago. I only hope in taking the Tempus Simia with you, Kim Possible, that you will be able to locate at least one of the temples holding a Jade Monkey statue, and from there locate the others."

While Eiji wasn't sure of what Sensei was talking about, he had a feeling of what Kim was getting herself into. "Be warned, however, Miss Possible, that the challenges that await you in such temples will not just be mere puzzles and traps. For me, it was almost as if the temple knew exactly what my worst fears were and used them against me. But I refused to give up and gave it my all."

Yori joined in. "From what the other students told me, he walked out of that temple a completely different person."

It was from that experience that gave him the knowledge and skills to become a top student, one who was actually a student that suffered from everything Ron did when he first came onto the school grounds: Fear and a lack of self-confidence. But where exactly was Yori when this happened?

Still, Sensei offered the head of the Tempus Simia to Kim, and the other piece to Wade. "I hope these will aid you on your journey, and I certainly hope you are successful in saving Stoppable-san. He is a great influence amongst several of my students."

Eiji and Yori seconded that. "He is."

Kim was a bit perplexed, though. "Wouldn't it be best that these stay here, protected with the Lotus Blade?"

"No," Yori immediately answered. "If the Yamanuchi grounds were ever intruded on again, one could steal not only the Lotus Blade but also the Tempus Simia, and one does not require the mystical monkey powers to use the time monkey. Having one is dangerous, but both? I cannot even imagine."

She was right. Although Monkey Fist activated it in the alternate timeline, Shego used it to take over the future, and she definitely didn't have MMP in her. And besides, stealing a cursed Lotus Blade? For all they knew, the dark powers that shrouded it could be not only deadly, but destructive as well. And if Kim had to fight Ron in combat, it was best not for him to get anywhere near the blade. Maybe he could change its shape, maybe not. Still, a sword is a sword. The best he could do with the time monkey was to throw it at her.

Even though he nearly killed Val, she had yet to see his true potential. Four blows that should have shattered Val's ribs was nothing.

"Eiji, your services are no longer required. You may return to whatever you were doing," Sensei told him, bowing his head to him.

Eiji got up and bowed to everyone in the room. "Thank you, Sensei. It was a pleasure meeting all of you."

Kim noticed he winked a Yori before he leapt out the door. While all the girls at Middleton almost dropped dead when Hirotaka smiled, Yori didn't have this same reaction. She looked flattered, but she had a bit of an uncomfortable look on her face. Was it really discomfort or something else?

"Kim," Sensei spoke, interrupting Kim's thoughts, "There is no need to ask if you will accept this journey, but do you feel ready for it?"

"What do you mean?" she asked curiously.

It was hard to say this. "I am aware of the fact that Stoppable-san had left you. I believed at first it was perhaps his own way of getting away from everything, and perhaps to further find himself, or to train. I thought he was changing to the ultimate monkey master, but I was certain he would return to you. But like you, we were unable to locate him and we were unaware of his behavior. But we did learn of the changes _you_ had gone through."

Yori couldn't help but say her piece. "I informed Sensei when I found out, but as much as I wanted to help, I didn't wish to intrude upon you two again." You could be a mile away and you could sense her guilt and shame in it. There was more to it than that.

Instead of dwelling on that subject, Sensei got to the point. "Had we known then what we know today concerning his condition, we only wish we could have offered our help sooner. But in saving him… Kim Possible… do you believe you can succeed?"

Kim nodded her head with a serious look in her eyes. "I can because I must. I have no other choice, for the sake of my life and his."

Sensei seemed pleased with her answer. "I see that even with the circumstances thrown against you, you have not given up. But I must ask. I do not know all the details, but you said you were able to track Stoppable-san down with Ryan-kun. Tell me, where is exactly is he?"

Yori was curious to this as well.

"He was the one who gave me the coordinates, or at least close enough to where I could find the school on my own," Kim answered. "But he chose not to come along, telling me that he wasn't welcome on school grounds. He told me a long time ago that he came back here when he was first presumed dead, and what happened."

Suddenly, Sensei stood up and walked toward the back door. "Please follow me. I wish to discuss some things privately with you."

Fairly puzzled, Kim got up and followed Sensei into the next room, leaving Yori and Wade alone. It was actually the kitchen, and from the smell of things Yori cooked up a really delicious meal. Kim wished she didn't say anything that would shock her. Other than various cooking utensils and an oven, the room was just as empty as the other one. Instead of decorations, awards and weapons on the walls, one wall was removed with a window in its place, offering Kim a beautiful view of the sunset. Even Yamanuchi had a warm winter, and yet the skies were colored in yellow, orange, red, and even purple. The clouds were just as colorful.

Last time she saw something like this, she and Ron were kissing on the roof of a building, believed to be the end of the Bay City crisis. Still, it was a marvel to behold. Sensei had a telescope right next to the window, and he was looking for something with it. It didn't take him long to find it, then he allowed Kim to see for herself.

"Tell me what you see."

The location was just outside the school grounds, one that was heavily shielded by trees. Had it not been for the fall season, it would be impossible to see what was going on. She could see that two of Sensei's students, a girl and a boy, were walking through the forest together. A little more inspection revealed that they were holding hands. They looked about sixteen or seventeen, and they talked. After a while they held each other, and as tempted to kiss each other as they were, they didn't. They just watched the sunset together without a clue of them being watched or spotted.

Ron never really liked the idea of public display of affection in his relationship with Kim, but it wasn't the sight of two people in love that bothered him. It was the sight of two people pretending to be in love, or however he tried to explain it. Many teen couples thought they were in love, but they did everything to exploit it instead. Not only did they overdo the mushy behavior, but they did it every place they went. While it bothered him with Kim and Erik to a more personal level, he noticed that couples often went to the arcades and made out or touched each other inappropriately in public just to get attention or anger some people. This became way more apparent right after Erik met Kim, a day where she didn't even walk home with Ron, and that's when he went to the arcade to get his mind off of it. And that's where he saw so, so much of it. Even he could tell these people weren't truly in love, and he thought that Kim deserved better than a guy who only talked about how hot she was the same day. But when all that was over and the he kissed her on prom night, he really didn't want to relive those memories, and after he explained it, she didn't blame him. He didn't want to be a hypocrite, or at least tried to avoid being one.

This, however, wasn't the case with the two Yamanuchi students. This wasn't about attention or some overly mushy feelings. It wasn't about how hot the other was. It was actual young love, and even Kim could see it. They wished to be together but they would wait for a more suitable time, perhaps after graduation. But they really had feelings for each other. They cared and respected one another. But was such a thing allowed? In most heavy-duty martial arts schools such things would get you expelled permanently, especially if you engaged in more physical acts. But since Yori kissed Ron on the cheek not once but twice here, maybe there wasn't a heavy penalty for it. Sensei might not have approved, but he knew. The two held each other closely and watched the skies, but later the girl had to remind the boy that they had to return to training. So as noble young students, they did. Maybe their feelings didn't interfere with their training at all, and that was probably the most important.

"Two students in love… that's what I see. But…"

Sensei walked toward the window, stopping right next to Kim. "You see, Possible-san, no one is truly 'banned' from coming back to the school grounds. While they may be expelled as students, there have been many who have returned to Yamanuchi in hopes to regain their honor. One of the first things I teach my students is that not all of them are strong in mind and spirit. Many of my students walk into Yamanuchi already have the maturity and spirit of the modern day martial artist, and there are just as many who are insecure, prone to fear, and suffer from low self-esteem, which is why they seek out the school, to rid themselves of these problems. But in this, they are prone to making mistakes, some forgettable, and some that can haunt them for the rest of their lives. While there have been those who have been proud of such choices, some have been expelled only to come back, begging forgiveness and a second chance."

And since Kim was a martial artist herself, one of the first things she learned in her karate class was forgiveness. Remembering it, she finally was able to remember what her parents were talking about when they told her no babysitter could handle her when she was younger. She was out of control, and someone suggested martial arts classes, not just self-defense but young Kimmie could also train her mind. The rest is history. Unfortunately, forgiveness wasn't something Kim practiced as much as she hoped she did, at least to some of her more current and ruthless enemies.

"It is only by the student's choosing not to come back. However, at the time Ryan-kun arrived with his brutal injuries, his mind was anything but passive, so I could not train him. You see, I do not train my students to be weapons or assassins. I give them the knowledge of Ninjitsu so it does not become lost with my passing, but my only goal is to help them decide what path to take in their lives. I give them the skills of the ninja not to become powerful warriors, but to become better people, which is why my teachings emphasize strictly on honor. I wish to provide them the understanding of themselves and life so they do not become self-centered or immoral. But ultimately, the students of this school are the creators of their destinies. While I teach them not to think or feel in dangerous situations, I do not wish to take away the gifts given to them as human beings: to laugh, to love, and to enjoy life. While many martial artists are seen as those who sacrifice everything for the sake of perfecting their skills, it does not mean they do not have other means of enjoyment. I want my students to be the best they can be and help serve others, but I also hope they find their own means of happiness deep inside them. I want them to be more than just ninjas. But I am not sure if this is the right way to go…" he said dimly.

"Why is that?" Kim asked curiously.

"Many of my students decide to withdrawal from the training, claiming they must listen to their hearts and pursue something else, while others have fallen off the path of the ninja because of their feelings for others. I can only teach these students so much, but it is all no match for the heart. More than ever many of my students have done things for the sake of love, some never to come back, and those who do come back usually come back feeling shame and dishonor. Fukushima, Ryan-kun, and even Yori. Fukushima's impatience, rudeness and jealousy towards Stoppable-san forced him to fall off the path, enough for him to betray the school and aid Monkey Fist in stealing the Lotus Blade. While I hoped he would come back and realize his errors, he decided to seek out other, deadlier masters. Ryan-kun had allowed his anger and hate to consume him, and while he wishes to help make a better future for others, he uses fear against every person he has fought. He is waging a war against what he believes is immoral and will fight it for the rest of his life, no matter how many lives are taken in the process. As for Yori, I am afraid I didn't teach her enough not to let her emotions get in the way of her decision-making. Had I, she would not have been shocked to the point where she wished to interfere with your relationship. It was fortunate yet ironic that Ryan-kun didn't allow her to, but to this day the thoughts of it still haunt her. She came back to Yamanuchi after explaining that she felt she was not ready, and it was then that she explained everything to me. Since then she has been waiting for an opportunity to regain her honor, not to show me that she is a better student, but inside she wishes for her guilt to fade away."

"You want me to take her with me on this journey, right?"

"I offer this not hoping she can help you, but that you both can help one another. I have told her before that it may not have been best to be involved with you and Stoppable-san after the incident in Bay City, but now I believe she is ready. Besides, as much as it pains me to say this about one of my former students, I cannot trust Ryan-kun."

"But Sensei, he helped me actually find Ron. Wade and I couldn't even get a decent clue for six months."

"You have to remember, he has been trained not only in the way of the ninja, but of the soldier too. In both worlds, deception is used as a powerful weapon. I truly hope I am wrong."

"I understand. I suspected a trap at first, but maybe you're right."

After the conversation, Sensei led Kim back to his room, where Yori and Wade were still sitting down.

"Yori. I believe you are once again ready for your final lesson," Sensei spoke in a bold and serious voice.

Yori bowed before getting onto her feet. "Yes, Sensei?"

"You are to aid Kim Possible in retrieving the Jade Monkey statues, and ensure that neither Monkey Fist nor anyone else interfere."

"It will be my honor."

"We are counting on you. Should you fail and Stoppable-san not be cured, there is no telling what the corrupted mystical powers will unleash on this world. There may be no stopping it."

"I understand the importance of it. I will do my best."

"I expect no less."

Afterwards, Kim and Wade said their goodbyes to Sensei as they made their way back down to ground level. After venturing through the school one more time, they found Yori at the front gates, packed and ready to go. But she was no longer in her Kimono, wearing a ninja suit similar to Eiji, but it looked more… advanced.

"The sun will not be out for much longer, Possible-san. Do you not wish to sleep here on the school grounds tonight?"

For some reason, it was hard to look at Yori with that lovable smile of hers. Kim was still somewhat skeptical at the girl who once had thoughts of interfering with her relationship. But if it wasn't for Yori disarming all of the Senator's henchmen on the Tower, they all could've been goners.

Kim shook her head. "Not tonight. I have some business back in Tokyo."

"Really?" Wade asked, perplexed.

"Yup. Wade, there's no telling what danger we'll encounter, and I just can't let you come into the fire yet. You're staying in a hotel room."

He snapped his fingers. "Aw, nuts. Just when I was getting the hang of things. But Kim, we still don't know if the hunt for us has spread around."

"I know," she boldly replied, "Which is why I'm setting you up with someone I know I can trust."

Who would they have in Tokyo?

"Nakasumi?"

"Bingo. I'll ask him if he can offer you some protection. But we'd better move. It's going to get dark soon."

Thankfully, Yori acted as the guide, helping the two get out of the forest much quicker than Kim and Wade went in. Without her they would have been totally lost. Before long, they were at the highway road again.

"You look different…" Kim couldn't help but say. It had been digging through her mind since she first saw the Kunoichi.

Yori giggled nervously. "You don't say…"

It wasn't just her appearance. Something was very peculiar about Yori's outfit. Like Eiji's it was made almost entirely of leather and was packed. But unlike his, there was so much padding and it was heavily, heavily detailed. And Kim could only think of one person who made battle suits and put so much passion and detail into them. Yori's English had also gotten much better. But she also knew about Pei Mei, a character in Kill Bill and various martial arts movies. She also heard of Jeong Jeong, a cartoon character. Not the things a girl isolated in the mountains would know of. And the smell in the kitchen? Unless Yamanuchi taught students to become master chefs, the smell of the food was very familiar.

Kim crossed her arms with a smile. "You are so telling me what you've been doing in the past year."

Yori just giggled nervously, embarrassed. Kim figured her out.

* * *

_July 2005_

Yori was anything but proud of herself. Even though she helped save everyone, the fact that she might have gone in this with the intent on ruining Kim and Ron's relationship, not to mention being beaten and dishonored by her old friend, Valia Ryan, she felt that she had completely lost her way. She felt that she dishonored herself, Sensei, and the Yamanuchi School. She told everyone she was going to travel around the world, but would that really solve everything? She wasn't herself the entire journey, feeling much weaker from the fact that the boy she fell in love with was taken by another, and that she reacted differently than she would in training. She let her emotions get to her. She felt guilt and shame, but she wasn't sure what to do about it. Go back to Yamanuchi and tell Sensei? She was afraid, feeling like a failure.

She had been sitting on the roof of one of the buildings in Bay City, but came to realize a small bloodstain on it that had been several days old. It was the place where she was under mind control and fought both Kim and Ron, in which she cut open Kim's arm with a sharp weapon. She felt even more frustrated at herself. She didn't want to do anything drastic, but sometimes others chose to engage in such things.

"Hands in the air."

Yori instantly felt the tip of a gun to her neck. This couldn't have been good, either, if someone could actually sneak up on her. Good. Maybe it should all end here, anyway.

"Oh, Yori, are you still angry at yourself?" The voice was all too calm and familiar, and whoever it was put the gun away.

Yori turned around to find a familiar face as well. "Ferno-san?"

Jenny Ferno, the teenage blonde heroine of Bay City. A tad bit older than Kim and Ron, but no less deadly than either. It wasn't the first time she pulled off something sneaky like that on Yori.

Yori just didn't see herself worthy to be in the presence of someone who treated her so nicely throughout the mission. "Perhaps I am, but I feel so much shame. Just even _thinking_ about interfering… Ryan-kun really was right about everything."

Not allowing her to say another word, Jen wrapped an arm around her friend buddy-style. "Yori, Yori, Yori, Yori, Yori! You have _got_ to get a grip on yourself. So you made a few mistakes, but guess what? We all do."

"I've dishonored myself, the school and everyone I know…"

Jen started shaking her. "So you've made one mistake. But Yori, it's not the end of the world! Believe me, it could've been so much worse."

Yori took a bold stance as she grabbed her head. "Really? How?"

Not an expected question for Jen. "Oh… I dunno. We could have been fighting in a war and you could have gone completely insane, selling us all out to the enemy and doing something so crazy as to _sleep_ with him just to get closer to Ron?"

Yori never looked so disturbed in her life. One eye was bugged out and her lips were twisted all over the place with confusion.

"Now _that_ is just _wrongsick_, Ferno-san." Her accent was just _gone_ with those words.

Jen seemed calm. "My point exactly. But you didn't do anything even _close_ to that. You had thoughts, but that was it. You didn't act on them. We went to Tibet and back, and I didn't see you attempt to do anything wrong. I know it'll bother you for some time, but we're still young, Yori. We've got a real life ahead of us, and so much to experience. I certainly hope you weren't considering Seppuku or anything of the sort."

"No… at least I think not."

"That bad, huh? Wow. I guess honor really does mean so much to you."

"It means everything."

"Understandable, I mean it. But in the end, Yori, everything will be all right. You didn't act on those bad thoughts, and that's all that matters. I know you've been a train wreck this whole journey, and you probably told yourself you were trained not to let your emotions get in the way, right?"

"Yes…"

"But Yori, training and all that aside, there's no force more powerful on earth than the heart. Well, maybe God and tacos, but that's not the point. Point is, love can break anyone. Soldiers and ninjas even. But you've been dwelling on everything since I crashed our jet. It's not the end of life, Yori. One screw-up doesn't make you useless. You're not like Terminator, failing your mission and becoming useless and obsolete. You might not believe in yourself, but I do. I know you'll survive this, because others have survived much, much worse. Think about it."

Yori sighed. "Thank you, Ferno-san. But I am not sure what to do next… would a journey around the world really help?"

"Why not stay here? You can stay at my place."

"Oh, but I couldn't. You are very busy, I do not wish to intrude."

"Bah, intrude schmude lude gude pude. You can stay in the extra room. Not a problem at all. Besides, my dad loves any extra company. 'Daddy, I brought home a ninja!'"

Yori briefly chuckled at Jen's joke. "But here? It is a bit much for me."

Jen looked like a salesman, with one arm wrapped around her ninja buddy and the other roaming around the scenery.

"That's the point, Yori. People travel the world because they want to see things they never have, or aren't used to. Why not have a mountain girl hang out in a city most people didn't think would exist until the year 3000? Besides, when I say this place has everything, I mean everything. Race tracks, ballroom dancing, malls, cheap gas prices, arcades, great food, awesome views, dojos, massage parlors, hair places, amusement parks, and until this place gets recognized around the world, not that expensive, either. Anything you can think of, it's here. Why not?"

"I don't know…"

"Please?"

Why did Jenny have to have to use her puppy-dog-eyes technique?

"Okay, sure."

And Yori began, with total uncertainty, her soul-searching journey in Bay City. And Jen couldn't have been happier. She really did wish to help Yori, but she was just nuts about the fact of having a bonafide ninja over. Jenny was the typical attractive blonde; beautiful and deadly, yet crazy. Goofy, but not stupid. And she was obsessed with non-American culture. She loved video games and loved ninjas, and she got to know Yori well over the mission. At first the girls had done so, so much, becoming almost best friends in a short amount of time. Nev was no less thrilled than Jen was, feeling terrible for everything Yori had to go through, and he decided to even build the girl her own ninja suit that was hers and hers alone. If Yori was going to be involved with Jen, it was likely she had to fight crime as well.

Despite all the fun and enjoyment Yori never felt before, something was missing. Jen decided that she probably needed a job of some sort, and instead of letting her friend apply for jobs, even with a cousin working at Bueno Nacho HQ and the Airport, Jen decided she'd get Yori into the arts.

Yori couldn't have felt more embarrassed. She was wearing a chef's hat, gloves, and an apron that said "Please Tip the Cook". Jen was standing right next to her with the same outfit, wearing an apron that said "Don't Hit on the Cook".

"Ferno-san… what are we doing? I thought you said you would train me in the arts."

"The art of cooking, Yori! They always say the way to a man's heart is through his stomach, and a girl is no different! So I'm going to teach you all that I know about how to make the most delicious meals you can ever imagine. American meals, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese, bring it on!"

And Jen also had the ultimate gift: She could eat any and everything she wanted but never gained a pound. Fighting crime is a good workout, and Kim would agree.

"If that's the truth, then why haven't you captured the heart of Killbourne-san?"

Jen glared at her playfully. "Shut up, I'm still working on it." She then proceeded to stick her tongue out at Yori, who couldn't help but laugh.

Then it began, and Yori couldn't believe it. Cooking food with Jen as the instructor was pure hell, worse than ninja training! She would stay up late just to perfect a meal.

"Try it again!" Jen would yell.

And more hours would be spent until Ferno-sensei was pleased.

"Delicious! Oh man, this is… wow."

Yori sighed. Her work was done.

"Now do it again! I want more!"

Plop. Anyone who didn't have the stamina of a ninja would surely die here. But Yori quickly became an excellent cook, mastering cuisines and meals worldwide. Jen tried to open a restaurant in her friend's name, but it wasn't up Yori's alley. Besides, putting the word 'ninja' in the name with its tagline being 'Excellent Good Cooked by a Real Life Ninja!" wasn't going to make Yori's life any easier. After all, Ninjitsu is seen as the art of invisibility, and exploiting a ninja wasn't going to help that. Besides, Yori often helped Jen out with fighting crime, so it wouldn't work out, anyway.

And in that, Jen wasn't exactly an excellent fighter. While she used her martial arts abilities in her speed and evasive maneuvers, she mostly relied on a gun. Not proud of it, but saw no other way. Yori not only helped Jen become a better martial artist, but she turned her into a weapons-based fighter. Jen had a repertoire of martial arts weapons she wanted to use since she was a kid, and now she could use every one of them efficiently in combat. In fact, the two became quite a pair when fighting crime. Soldier and ninja.

But none of this filled the void in Yori's heart. Her home was in Yamanuchi and she missed it. Finally, after almost spending a year with her friend, Yori decided it was time to go back. Jen was going to miss her, but she respected her wishes. But Yori, while still possessing a lovable and kind personality, had learned so much. She was grateful. Maybe they would fight together again.

* * *

"Yes… that was my experience in America until July." 

"But why didn't Jen tell me anything?" Kim asked, surprised.

"It was meant to be a secret. Word spreading about a ninja in a place like that? The attention wasn't needed."

"Let me ask you something… Do you… hate me, you know, because of Ron?"

Yori almost fell down on the ground. "No, o-of course not! I… I-I am shocked, Possible-san. What on earth would give you that impression?"

Valia told Kim a lot of bad things about Yori when she first discovered her beloved Ron-san was taken. But Yori was completely honest. She was truly shocked.

"Just curious, that's all. Sorry, I shouldn't have asked something like that."

"Well, if it makes you feel any better, I will admit I thought the wrong things about you and Stoppable-san at first, in which I am terribly, terribly sorry, but I truly wish to help you. Not just for his sake, but I really, really want to help. I understand and will accept any negative feelings you have toward me."

Kim got it. "No, no no… I'm totally cool with you helping out. Really, I am. But if I fail this, Yori, at least I have someone like you to complete the mission. If there's one person I can count on to help Ron, I'm glad it's you."

Yori shook her head. "I don't think you understand, Possible-san. Stoppable-san needs you just as much as you need him. I don't want to imagine what it would be like if he returned to normal but found out you had passed. I would do my best to take care of him for the rest of my life, but I don't think I'm a suitable replacement. One human life simply can not be replaced by another. I am envious of your relationship, but I understand what you mean to each other, and I don't want to be a burden like I have before. I will do my best to help you, I mean it."

"Thanks."

A brief moment of silence.

"The bus will be here soon to pick you both up." Yori informed them.

"Us? What about you?" Kim asked.

"Don't worry about me, I'll catch up. I will meet you when you leave Tokyo. I just wanted to make sure you didn't get lost."

Soon after, a bus with no travelers on it arrived. Kim and Wade hopped on, and it left. Once it was gone, Yori stood in the middle of the road, anything with a friendly face on.

"Show yourself. I know you're here."

"And to think our reunion would be a happy one…"

Out of nowhere, a spiky-haired leather-clad silhouette appeared behind her. It was like a classic cowboy movie with two people standing far from each other and staring at each other. Yori showed no hostility but rather a high amount of suspicion on her face.

"It's good to see you've been doing well, old friend," her guest said warmly.

Yori crossed her arms. "I wish I could say the same, but it appears you haven't been doing well at all, Ryan-kun."

He took a step forward with open arms. "I'm gifted with the best of luck in combat, but cursed with the worst luck in everything else. Nothing new, really."

"I'm sorry to hear that. So what brings you here? You're not the type to arrive late and miss Possible-san."

"I just came to see how a dear old friend of mine was doing."

"I know what you told her about me…" she said with a tone that was an inch away from sounding hostile.

"I only told her the truth. You really did snap, but I did you a favor in erasing those memories. Come on, Yori, willing to accept mind control to get involved with Ron? I guess we aren't so different in that heartbreaks can wildly change us. But I did it so you wouldn't turn out as I did. Soldier or ninja, heartbreak can destroy anyone, even you."

"But telling her all those things… it wasn't necessary. I made my mistakes and I am sorry for it. Whether or not I am truly forgiven, I will do what I can to make up for them."

Val smiled. "I see we've learned so much. Good for you, dear Yori. I sincerely wished it didn't come to that, but you know why I did what I had to do."

"You would be dead if you didn't, right? Those… 'nanomachines', is that what they're called?"

"Yes."

"I am sorry but I still cannot trust you, Ryan-kun. I may not know your reasons for helping Possible-san, but you have something planned out… something dark… I can sense it in you. But I cannot…"

"Read my mind? Enter my thoughts? It comes and goes, if I remember correctly."

"Yes, it does, but if only I knew…"

He started to advance towards her. "Let me ask you… Say I really do have something 'dark' planned out, if you can sense it, does it involve you, Kim or Ron in any way?"

Yori put her mind to it. "No… not really."

"Well, you don't have much to worry about, then."

Suddenly, the branches could be heard ruffling against each other, followed by a warrior's yell. Before long, Eiji made his appearance.

"Eiji-san, wait!"

Where was he? Behind Val with a sword on his throat. Val seemed somewhat impressed, anything but scared.

"Hi, I'm Yori's new friend and I'm out of my mind." Fortunately there was no toilet around. "Listen, I've heard of you and what you're capable of, Ryan. I have no quarrel with you. But should you lay one finger on Yori, so God help me I will spend the rest of my life hunting you down."

"I suppose you've got your future cut out for you then, huh?"

Eiji pressed the blade closer, but Val's face was solid with a bemused smile.

"Don't worry, Eiji. I have no ill intention for Yori, or any of you. Yori did wrong and learned her lesson. It pained me to do it but I didn't have many options available at the time."

"I've heard. Still…"

Eiji then released the blade and leapt out of the way, landing near Yori. Val merely stretched his neck out.

"Well, we'll see what happens now that we'll be working together, isn't that right, Yori?" Val asked.

"Yes. I'm going to keep a close eye on you."

"And I on you. I'll see to it that we catch up with each other later on. I'd love to hear how Bay City was. Nice meeting you, Eiji."

After tipping an invisible hat, Val suddenly disappeared before them, but the two ninjas realized something.

"Did… did you just see what I did?" Yori asked.

"Yeah…" a concerned Eiji answered, "However he disappeared… that wasn't Ninjitsu… that wasn't even human… I've got a worse feeling about this now. If only I could come along."

"Why not?"

"Sensei told me not to, and requested I watch over the students in your leave. Besides, I know you can hold your own should anything happen. But you take care of yourself out there, okay Yori?"

"I will. Be sure to take care of Sensei as well."

"Of course. Good luck."

Eiji then made his leave, but instead of vanishing, he walked back into the leafless forest as the sun started to disappear. Yori started walking down the highway, concerned.

"What is he up to…?"

* * *

And the author mentioned? _G-Go!_ I hope I didn't spoil anything, really… Just a silly twist I thought of. 


	16. 15: Embrace the Storm

Sorry for the two-week delay, but I'm in finals week here. Thankfully most of my assignments are cake. They're just time-consuming, that's all. You know, in the original planning, there really wasn't a lot in Kim's quest for the Jade Monkey statues. It was originally going to be Kim going to the temple, getting it, getting the other three, and then what happens. All in one chapter with no depth or details whatsoever. And as you will read, that's changed drastically. Hope you enjoy!

**Chapter 15: Embrace the Storm**

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* * *

**

"Why is it that whenever someone wants me dead, they send the absolute _dumbest_ people on the planet?" Kim cried.

"_I don't have an answer for that one,"_ was Wade's response, _"Nev?"_

"_I'd rather not know, to be honest with you," _Killbourne replied,_ "I have a feeling I'd lose my faith in humanity… _again_, and that'd be the fifth time this month."_

"_Boy, I think just by watching what happened, I lost my own faith in humanity…" _Monique pitched in.

Val rested his arms behind his head. "I suppose I've overestimated them, though we've still yet to find out who's behind all of this…"

"Would you prefer it if they were all highly-skilled assassins, Possible-san?" Yori asked.

"Actually, it might make me feel a bit more comfortable and less confused," Kim was quick to answer.

Kim, Yori and Val were aboard a private plane heading towards their first destination, located in Tanzania, or more specifically, deep within the jungles of Mount Kilimanjaro. On the other end of Kim's audio communicator was not only Wade, now safe in a hotel room provided by Nakasumi, but also Nevren Killbourne and Monique. Like most of Kim's recent travels in the air, she had a huge wallop of information fall in her lap, and sometimes the most helpful information can be so embarrassing you wish you never knew what it was.

While Middleton was the first target for the orders to capture her, Bay City was also targeted since Kim had allies there. While the black suits were successful in securing the homes of Kim and everyone she knew, they weren't so successful in Bay City. Benjamin Ferno, the current CEO of Bueno Nacho, was nowhere to be located in his home, and neither was his daughter, Jennifer. They both took sanctuary in Nev's underground lab and home, an unknown location to just about everyone but Jen and Val.

Wade was captured and left without most of his computer equipment, sans a laptop he didn't use too often. But while he was technically incapacitated in the jail cell, Nev, who wasn't quite the genius Wade was, and was prone to making mistakes, minor and serious, did whatever he could to find out what was going on. Most of it involved hacking into several government, military and justice league databases, though he kept quiet to avoid being caught, since hacking was actually anticipated by whoever planned all of this. Had that happened, they could have traced the signal and found Nev's top secret lab. Not only would he and everyone been in trouble, but with all of the weapons and battle equipment he developed, if they had fallen into the wrong hands then everyone would be in trouble.

But he was successful in hacking into the computers that delivered the orders to the black suits and everyone else. It was true; the orders given to all of the justice agents and the black suits were generated entirely by a computer. However, with the way everything was organized, it wasn't just someone who captured the heads of the organizations and ordered them to screw with the computers and throw off everyone. They probably tied them up and did the hacking themselves. And whoever this was, they were good. So good that it was impossible to rescind the orders, much to everyone's chagrin. And Nev was just as good a hacker as Wade. A colleague of his, Nev was familiar enough with Wade's technology, often a provider of specific hardware, to hack into the things Wade made. It strictly for communication purposes to get into contact with Kim or Ron, though.

Even with that known, he couldn't determine who was responsible for this, though his guess was another unknown, probably someone high on the food chain like the senator. And there was also the possibility that whoever this was worked directly in the government, and had the authority to order all this. But it didn't seem likely, and if that were the case everything was staged to appear otherwise.

But Nev didn't just sit back and do nothing. Though he couldn't reverse the orders or determine the one responsible, he could still add additional orders to distract the black suits and give everyone else more time. Hoping it would work, he decided to give the black suits a ridiculous order. First, they were all to eat dinner at the exact same time. And sure enough, they all did without any questions. So he was to blame for that.

On the outside, the black suits appeared to be professionals. But really, watching their tactics and their behavior, he was appalled at their stupidity. When Val set the trap for them by giving them a video feed that Kim was at the electrical plant, you'd think they'd keep a few people behind to watch guard at the prison where Wade was held. The dinner deal? Everyone went at the same time without questioning their orders. Nev had his share of stupid people in the past, but he thought they were too dumb to be human.

Syntho-drones or bio-mechs? He had to make sure. Able to successfully contact Monique, he asked her to do the most bizarre favor, one where she refused to take him seriously.

The favor? Dress up like a ninja, go outside and poke one of the black suits with a fork. Monique didn't have anything that would merge her with the night, but as she looked through her closet, the idea sounded spankin'. So she wound up wearing a midnight blue sweatshirt and pants, snuck up on one of them and poked him with a fork as hard as she could. Well, it was really a spork, not up for the idea of stabbing anybody with a piece of metal.

"OW!"

Realizing her spork wasn't stained with syntho-goo, she ran back inside the house as fast as she could. Not only was she not seen by the person she nearly stabbed, but no one noticed anything at all, and the agent who was attacked didn't bother to tell anyone. He thought he was stung by a bee. In December. Baffled by this, Nev decided he'd play one more trick to see if these people were dumb or just took any and all orders given to them.

The orders? Everyone must carry an axe, walk down the street and dance in a routine, obviously something he thought of while watching Kung Fu Hustle.

As ridiculous as these orders were, they did it. With no consideration towards their objective, they actually wore tuxedos and hats, waved hand axes in their hands, and danced a routine all in perfect unison while moving down the neighborhood. Monique couldn't believe what had happened, and decided to call Kim on it. Now being able to get into Kim's frequency with his laptop, Wade got in on the whole thing, and he also contacted Nev as well so he could join in.

If not for the weapons they carried, the black suits wouldn't be a threat at all. Someone hired an entire army of these guys, but other than being perfect sharpshooters, they were probably the biggest idiots on the planet.

As for those who were working with official justice leagues, they seemed to be a lot quieter in their search, not allowing themselves to be seen. Wade and Nev both speculated, though, that regardless of the orders, they might have realized that something was very wrong and were trying to find out what it was, at the possible cost of their ranks for disobeying direct orders. Alas, none of them had proper authorization or privileges to dig into such information, and many of the head officials of those leagues were bent on following the orders regardless. Others were still searching for Kim, but had no traces or leads to go by. It wasn't going to be long before the hunt went global. Everyone was well aware that Kim got rides to just about everywhere around the world, and no doubt she'd use that to her advantage.

Despite that so, so much was going on around Kim, she didn't panic or stress out about it. She was a bit tense, but she had one clear goal over everything: Retrieve all four of the Jade Monkey Statues. She was going to worry about Monkey Fist, Ron and Rufus later, but dwelling on everything wasn't going to solve or help anything. Had this been a couple of months ago with Kim being horribly depressed and out of sync, it would probably have been too overwhelming. But since finding Ron, she felt more determined than ever. At least, she hoped it was determination.

And yet, she didn't know everything. Almost everyone involved had a separate agenda.

The first that came to mind was the one sitting opposite of her, Valia Ryan. Over the course of this operation she realized he wasn't in this just to help her out, as he first claimed, and that could have been a distraction the whole time for something else. But since Melissa Uso was brought to the table, it definitely got more personal on his end. Whether or not Val knew Eyna had a twin sister was unknown and not necessarily vital, but Kim knew that she was probably the key to seal Val's bitter past forever. Enya Fayce was dead, and so was Michelle Stonedge, the two girls who shaped Val into the being he was. Now another one appears…

Of course, Missy wasn't just there for show, either. While Kim didn't exactly know Val's true motives, the purple girl was the biggest mystery of them all. There were too many questions about her. Why was she with Ron and what exactly was her relationship with him? Who did she work for and what exactly were her orders? Was it perhaps the person who ordered the black suits and justice orgs against Kim? While she didn't work with the black suits, maybe she was the true assassin while the idiocy of the black suits were distractions. But why someone with ties to Val? Was she chosen because she was good at what she did, or because of Ryan? Unfortunately, other than the family information, nothing was known about her. It was difficult to determine her true purpose in all of this, but she sure wasn't an ally.

And speaking of the conspiracy ties, it wouldn't be complete without pretty boy Sean Hanteren. Kim still wasn't entirely sure if he was dead or alive, but if he was the latter, they would definitely see him or his henchmen again. It was more than likely he had the biggest ties to all of this, but Kim found it surprising that he didn't somehow discover her in Kowloon and try to interfere with her seeing Ron again. But if he found out what was going on now, he would most definitely interfere.

Then there was Monkey Fist, who was in this all for the mystical monkey power, not to anybody's surprise. Everyone was sure he wasn't fully aware of the reasons behind Ron's transformation or his aging, but he probably didn't care regardless.

But Kim had no idea there were two more involved.

Val never told her that Shego was directly involved in this somehow, since she seemed to be much more interested in him than her arch-rival, Kim. He knew that she had a role in keeping Kim and Ron separated, giving Kim false leads towards Ron's whereabouts. But she didn't seem to care, anyway. Shego was growing tired of Kim, telling herself that the redhead was an unworthy opponent, only to get the same treatment from someone she saw as a potential partner. But even if Val didn't want to fight and destroy everything, she just wanted to fight with him regardless of the purpose, as long as it wasn't for anything good.

Then there was the one who hid in the darkness of all of this, Dr. Drakken. But for someone who kept boasting about some master plan involving Kim and Val, he wasn't doing too much. Actually, while Kim and the others were headed towards Africa, he was still asleep, dreaming of the good old days of him conquering the world with his reliable and loyal sidekick, Shego.

If only dreams weren't just that.

By the time everyone updated everyone else, from Kim to Wade to Nev to Monique, they all signed off. Overall, everyone around the country grew suspicious of the black suits and investigations began towards their true motives and their authenticity. But Kim couldn't help but feel that now, maybe it was all a distraction for something else, and something big. She definitely needed Ron, because with the way Yori was looking at Val from time to time, she wasn't sure if she could rely on his help much longer. He didn't act differently, but she knew that even Yori was someone who forgave everyone, whether it was her teachings or beliefs. And while the Kunoichi didn't hate him, and remembered he did what he did only because he was in his own desperate situation, she felt that his involvement only meant trouble.

Speaking of him again, he looked much different than the last time Kim saw him. He didn't simply get a new jacket this time. Ron had torn his original leather coat open with his spear before physically attacking him, and it had so much blood that the stench couldn't be removed. But it wasn't just a new leather trenchcoat with an extremely decorative interior, which was once again a shiny, red, decorative and silky material. For some reason, he wore huge chains. He wore them on his wrists, his pants, and with one around his neck. He also wore gloves on both his hands, and an ammo belt that went from his left shoulder to the right side of his waist. The collar of the coat was extremely huge, going past his shoulders. And for another strange reason, Val got red streaks in his hair. He didn't seem to consider stealth as the chains rattled with every movement he or the plane made, but it wasn't likely that he'd go on any stealth operations soon. Since getting on the plane, and despite a couple of skeptical looks from Yori, he seemed to be extremely relaxed, more so than Kim could remember. Then again, while he still had little resemblance to Kim's other adversaries, he was still one high in the departments of dramatics and theatrics.

* * *

It wasn't long before all three leapt from the plane and landed near their destination in a jungle. Kim was a bit concerned, and not because the pilot dropped them off far from their destination, demanding ten grand for an extra mile, but she feared the party wouldn't get along with each other. While Yori and Val were once best friends when they were both children, the Bay City crisis arguably turned them into enemies. While Val didn't consider Yori one, the same couldn't be said on her end. However, as if business was more important, the two seemed to get along with each other. Then again, just because two people get along doesn't mean they need to say a word to each other. He didn't do her wrong this time so far, so she didn't act hostile, but she was still skeptical. 

Kim had the Tempus Simia in her backpack, and was loaded with a packed utility belt and most of her weapons handy, she was only the carrier of the time monkey.

While they could have traveled the world, waiting until the monkey started clapping, Wade used his satellites to find any suspicious empty fields in jungles or forests. He found one in Tanzania, and that's where they went, giving Kim a map before she left him in Tokyo.

"Are we there yet?" Val asked playfully, trying to form a sense of humor again.

Yori briefly looked at the map. "It shouldn't take us much longer."

Yori played the navigator, reading the map as she lead the way for the other two, guiding them closer to what was considered an uncertain destination. She too was loaded from head to toe in all kinds of handmade weapons, often cutting through branches with a sword she made by herself.

The three had suspected that because they were heading towards a monkey temple, traps would be all over the place. Trap pits, nets, branches that acted like battering rams, and so on. Nothing. It wasn't long before they wondered if their destination was a dud lead.

And just on that thought, a metal clank could be heard from Kim's backpack. The monkey clapped. Perfect.

"Anything suspicious, Val?" Kim asked, noticing his eyes wandered.

He sniffed around loudly, turning his head several times. "Nothing unusual…"

He chose to play protector, following close behind the girls. He kept his senses on guard for anything suspicious in the area, focused on anyone who could be following them. While he was anything but suited for stealth infiltration, with his chains rattling on him, stepping on small tree branches and snapping them, he didn't see this as a bad thing. The way he saw it, if anyone was waiting for them, his noise would attract them and if they chose to attack, Val would handle it in a heartbeat. It was simple, really: Lure the enemy. But it didn't seem to matter anyway. Other than the wildlife, from poisonous snakes to spiders, the jungle was hazardless.

That is, until they faced a series of obstacles. The first came in the form of a huge canyon separating the path, a dead end. The drawbridge had been cut decades ago, but two giant trees, one on each end, connected the two rocks. And just to their luck, a vine hung perfectly in the middle, ready to be swung on. The problem was that it was too far away to reach. You'd have to take Val or Yori's farthest jumping distance from a run, multiply it by eight, and you'd have the length to reach the vine.

"You think we should just climb the tree and cross it from there?" Kim asked.

"The branches that connect the trees won't support us for long…" Yori speculated. They were indeed very weak, and if they tried to support a lot of weight for too long, snap.

"I think I have just the thing," Val said as he walked through the other two.

He pulled out a long wire, appearing to be a grappling cord. He shot it towards the vine, caught it, and pulled it over. The vine was conveniently long enough to reach all of them, and perhaps the other side. After taking off his cord, he offered it to the girls.

"Which one of you goes first?"

"Why not you?" Yori asked.

"Ladies first."

Kim narrowed one of her eyes. "Hold up, I thought you believed in equal opportunity? _Now_ you treat us like girls?"

Yori mimicked Kim's gesture. "And in a life and death situation, Ryan-kun?"

That was the point. It hit both girls at the same time, and Val had quite a chuckle at their reactions.

Realizing he really wasn't kidding around, though, Yori decided to take the first shot. She didn't want Kim to be the guinea pig in case this failed, since she was the most important person on the team. So, she took it the vine from Val, took a tight grip on it, and jumped off. The canyon itself was just plain huge, and this was more apparent by how low Yori fell before she went back up. She reached the other side safely.

"It's either you or me, Kim. Who's next?" Val offered.

"I'll go," she quickly replied.

Realizing simply letting the vine go wouldn't reach Kim, Yori had to resort to other means. Finding a tall tree next to her, opposite the huge tree that connected the cliffs, she ran up the tree as high as she could. From the top, she dove off and threw the vine downward as hard as she could. She landed on her feet, but the momentum she gave the vine sent it flying all the way back to Kim, who caught it easily.

"Thanks!" Kim yelled.

"You are welcome!" Yori hollered.

And without taking a moment to look down, Kim took a heavy grip on the vine and jumped off. While the teens on each end grew a bit concerned because Kim was spinning on the vine, she made it across safely.

"Everything okay over there?" Val hollered.

Kim let out a relieved sigh. "No big!"

And he was up last, after Yori did the same thing to send the vine back his way. Just as he caught it in his hands, he walked off the cliff and swung.

This time, however, the branches that held the vines… snapped. Val's momentum sent him flying towards the cliff where Kim and Yori were, but he wasn't able to fly high enough to reach the surface, or even grab the edge.

The two girls just watched as he fell.

"Val!"

Kim quickly rushed over to the edge to see, but he came up out of nowhere, and was in front of Kim before she realized what was going on. He somehow climbed back up.

She let out a puff of breath upon this, smirking with crossed arms. "I didn't think you'd die that easily."

Val quickly got on his feet, narrowing one of his own eyes. "Oh come on, Kim. Don't deny it, you were scared for me. I'm truly flattered." After patting the dirt off his shoulders, he walked past the other two.

"I wasn't scared!"

"Yes you were."

"So not!" Kim cried as she secured her bag and followed.

"You really thought it was the end for me," Val argued as he secured his own. "You really freaked out there for a second."

Kim briefly covered her face. She couldn't win this one.

The next obstacle was a series of beautiful waterfalls. While they knew they had gone down the mountains, they couldn't see where any of the waterfalls started. It was a truly magnificent sight, but it wasn't the waterfalls themselves that posed as a threat. To get across, they all had to go through a long river, and the current looked extremely strong. The only way to get past was to run across a series of rocks, all which were rounded and soaked.

Kim noticed Yori and Val seemed somewhat perplexed. "What's the sitch?"

Yori had her attention on Val for some reason, letting out a playful smile. "You should remember this one all too well, isn't that right, Ryan-kun?"

He groaned loudly, "That was almost ten years ago, Yori…"

Kim knew she had to hear this one. "Spill."

Val for some reason hid his face, embarrassed. This had to be interesting.

Yori turned around and smiled. "You see, Possible-san, part of the ninja training at Yamanuchi requires the student to run across a series of rocks to get across a river, very similar to this. However, notice that the rocks are anything but sharp and jagged, but rounded due to erosion. Because of the water, they are _extremely_ easy to slip on, and while it doesn't look like much, it is just as easy to suffer a serious injury. You are almost guaranteed to snap your ankle with a fall."

Kim's eyes focused on Val. "And that's what happened to you, huh?"

"Yes…" he muttered, before his head rose, "But that was _early_ in the training."

"Ryan-kun first came to Yamanuchi halfway through the semester," Yori continued explaining, "but Sensei did _not_ go easier on him for it. Because we had learned survival techniques such as medical treatment earlier, Sensei had me take care of him until his injury healed."

"That month flew by so fast," Val said softly. "I don't remember if I said it before, but… thank you, Yori."

Almost taken off guard by what he said and his tone, she had a hard time reacting. "Oh… um… you're welcome, Ryan-kun," following that was what appeared to be an uncomfortable or baffled smile.

Kim didn't see the need to go down memory lane any further. "Okay. I think I'll head first this time."

Neither Yori nor Val thought it was a good idea that Kim go on ahead first, but she surprised them. Instead of simply running across as they were told to do a long time ago, Kim performed a series of flips and somersaults, but each time she landed on one of her hands. It was actually the material of her gloves that prevented her from slipping. And she didn't do one rock at a time, either, flying past four or five at once. It wasn't long before she reached the other side, and waved at the other two that she made it across safely.

Val rubbed his neck. "Not bad."

Yori smiled at him. "So, do you think you can handle it this time?"

"Watch me."

And without waiting for her acknowledgement, he did things the hard way by sprinting, one rock at a time. With his speed and how long he stayed on each one, it looked like he was floating the whole time. He actually ran past Kim when he made it across.

"Nice job," Kim congratulated him, even though she wasn't in any way surprised because of everything else he was capable of.

"Eh," was all he said, thinking the same thing.

Yori was up next, and this time she leapt across a few of the rocks, each with a somersault. She would land on a hand one time, then land on a foot, and so on. But just when she reached the last rock, she slipped.

She feared the worst as her foot shot upward and her body went airborne.

Only for some reason, she found herself in the arms of her old friend Ryan-kun. She didn't even know what happened, and by the look on Kim's face, she didn't either.

"You all right?" he asked, appearing to be somewhat disappointed in her.

Again her face was puzzled. "Yes, I'm fine…"

He put her down and checked her leg, seeing if she injured it anyway. The slip could have easily twisted her ankle, and having Yori on a bad leg _again_ was the last thing they needed. She checked out fine.

"… Thank you, Ryan-kun." Her tone sounded more confused than thankful.

And they continued from there. Kim could understand why Yori was puzzled. From the last time they met, Val was a relentless and cold adversary, treating her so coldly it was like they were never friends at all, and it wasn't often that he was friendly to anyone. Even when Kim had to first team up with him, he wasn't kind and gentle, which he suddenly was with Yori. Maybe her presence delivered some nostalgia on his part, probably part of his youth that didn't involve training for special forces and intelligence. Really, Yori was another girl of his past, and probably the only girl in his past that didn't end tragically, and the only one still alive. And it puzzled her completely. Maybe he did feel remorse for what he did before, yet sadness was the last thing you could see in his eyes.

The jungle did have a serene feeling to it, making everyone feel anything but stressed. In the end, it made the journey a lot easier.

After about an hour, the scenery became a lot more rocky. The ruins of statues were scattered along the way, and most of them were monkey statues. They were getting close. The Tempus Simia was also clapping a lot more frequently, but nowhere to the point of being annoying. It had to be because of the beat.

Suddenly, Yori stopped as blinding light filled their eyes.

"There. That's our destination," she claimed, pointing her finger onward.

They all had arrived at the end of the jungle, and just as the satellite pictures depicted, there was a large empty field ahead, free of trees or any wildlife. Just a plain grass field. But the last obstacle in their way was a steep hill. Prior to their descent, Kim pulled out the Tempus Simia and held it in her hands.

"Possible-san, do you see it?"

Kim constantly separated the head from the body over and over. When it was together, it was clear as day, but when the pieces were separate, it was gone. "Yeah. This is definitely the place." She then put the pieces back in her backpack. "Let's move."

She was the first to climb down the hill, but instead of dashing down, she was extremely cautious and careful. If Val almost screwed up the first time, and if Yori almost screwed up the second time, she was probably next for the third. It wasn't extremely dangerous like the last two obstacles, but some things are deadlier than they appear.

Before Yori followed, she faced Ryan again.

"Did you see anything suspicious on our way over?"

Val shook his head. "Nothing to report."

Yori briefly smiled. "Good." And from there, she followed Kim.

But he didn't immediately follow, looking back towards the jungle for a few seconds.

Yet, as he turned around to follow the girls, he had a rather delightful smirk on his face.

They weren't alone.

Fortunately for Kim, nothing bad happened on her way down in the hill. But unfortunately for her, the hill itself wasn't really the last obstacle. The destination was. Letting Yori and Val put their hands on the Tempus Simia, only then could they see the temple. It was nowhere as big as the field, which was two miles wide. The entrance was right there just waiting for Kim to enter, and she took a huge breath, relaxing her mind as she closed her eyes. She didn't do this often, but felt it was necessary.

"Okay, I'm ready to go."

But before she could rush in, she suddenly felt a lot lighter, as if a bunch of weight had been taken off her back. Looking behind her, it wasn't far from the truth. Val had her utility belt in his hand, and Yori held her backpack. The two looked at each other briefly before turning their eyes to Kim.

"What's going on?" she asked skeptically, almost shocked.

Yori took a couple of steps forward before answering. "There is no need to be surprised, Possible san. You see, this very temple was not created by ordinary man, but forged by mystical powers. There is no telling what you may face inside, but you must prepare to face your worst fears, whatever those may be, and prepare yourself for the unexpected. The journey may prove to be a difficult one, and perhaps not, but you will be tested. Not just physically, but mentally as well. You may be victorious in retrieving the Jade Monkey, but the real victory is proving yourself worthy, and in this case, it is conquering the obstacles without any of your weapons or equipment. They will _not_ be necessary for this."

Kim sagged her shoulders briefly. "Okay, fine… but how am I supposed to see the temple without carrying the Tempus Simia?"

Not expecting this question, Yori thought about it for a second, then had a light bulb pop up above her head. She pulled out the said device from Kim's backpack, and now able to see the temple herself, she placed the monkey on one of the stairs. The temple reappeared and all of them were able to see it now, instead of just standing on air.

Kim blew her hair upward. "Great…" Accepting this, she turned around and was ready to head inside, but then turned around. "Can I at least carry a flashlight? I kinda want to see where I'm going."

Yori and Val looked at each other briefly, wondering. Kim didn't see what the big deal was, but Val shrugged his shoulders.

"I don't see the harm in it."

Agreeing, Yori pulled out a flashlight from Kim's bag and gave it to her.

"Thanks," Kim said as she took it and went inside. "This should be no problem at all…" she said with a confident smirk, but almost a little bit too confident.

Val grunted as he saw this. "Don't get overconfident! You must be willing to accept your fears, but by all means do _not_ try to hide them by pretending not to be afraid! Fate used that against you several times in the past and you almost got killed because of it! Embrace and accept your fears but don't try to hide from them with a mask!"

Kim stopped to listen in, and realized that it was true. Pretending not to be afraid never helped her before, especially in the Ronless days. And if what Yori said was true about the temple being supernatural, it could use her fear of fear against her, and it would. She wasn't sure how that was possible, but then again she didn't know how an invisible temple like this existed, either.

"I'll be back, but hopefully not for too long." And with that, Kim slowly advanced inside the temple, and it wasn't long before the darkness consumed her.

Yori put Kim's backpack down and sat on one of the temple stairs, skeptically looking at the boy next to her. "I hope this was a good idea, Ryan-kun… but… taking her equipment away from her?" Asking this, she pulled out a sword.

Val pulled out his own blade, taking a load off on the stairs as well. "I don't see why not. Ask yourself, what is Kim Possible without her boyfriend, her tech support, and her equipment?" Yori didn't wish to answer this one, but Val didn't give her much time to guess. "Someone completely incapable of saving the world on her own. Just another person with a pretty face, athletic abilities and a smart mind, but not much more than that. Yes, she's capable of so much, but take away the one thing she cares the most about, and everything she relies on the most, and she's nothing more than a regular person. Almost helpless, even."

"Do you truly believe that?" Yori asked, hardly convinced. She definitely didn't agree.

"I've seen it, Yori," he dimly replied. "Do you want to know why she's so lost? Because in the past she's relied on everything but herself. She's always relied on the aid of someone or something else. Only by conquering this alone will she truly be more than that."

"She's never been alone like us, Ryan-kun. She's not used to that, but we are."

"It makes no difference," he quickly came back with, "She's fortunate to have her support, but in the real world you don't always have people willing to lend a hand. Even she has to grow up. It's too often that people give into their fears and give up on themselves and life. By sending her in without any kind of aid, not only will she become better skilled, but it will make her a stronger person inside as well. She may or may not truly be ready for what she's about to encounter, she can do it."

Yori seemed somewhat perplexed. "Why is it that you wish to help her in this way?"

His gaze was towards the jungle. "She's helped me see things I thought I'd never see in my life…"

"You mean her relationship with Stoppable-san?"

"That and maybe more…"

Yori didn't buy it, despite his honest answer. "Is that the only reason?"

"Maybe. Maybe not. But that holds no relevance to our current 'sitch'. How long do you suppose she's going to take in there?"

"Oh, um…" She took a moment to think, taken off guard from the subject change. "I don't know. An hour? What do you think?"

"Three," he quickly answered, "We're fearless because we've already faced our worst fears. She's fearless because she hasn't had much to fear in her life, or she hasn't really learned to fear the things any and all human beings should. Consider the fact that she wrote on her website that high school was more difficult than saving the world. I've had endless moments in my life where I'd rather be back in high school, and that was already hell as it was."

Yori still didn't agree with him. The two just kept guard of the entrance with their weapons drawn, keeping a lookout for anything. Yori had a serious look in her eyes, ready for anything. But Val looked exhausted and sleepy, with a rather mellow look written all over his face.

* * *

She told herself to expect the worst, and Kim tried to narrow everything down to a list. What were her fears inside places like this? Traps, spikes, pits, stone guardians, and maybe even poisonous snakes or insects. She told herself that this would be a challenge, and she could feel that there were supernatural powers at work. She could just feel it like the temperature of the air. But the one thing she didn't expect, definitely made her afraid. 

Everything was pitch black darkness, with no light at all. No torches, no guiding lights or flames, nothing. She was blind.

The flashlight went dead just minutes after entering the temple, and by then there was no light to guide her back.

Normally in this case, she would have a torch or the Kimmunicator handy to provide some backup light, but she had none of those available. She had nothing equipped at all, nothing in her pockets even. Just her and nothing more.

Instead of advancing slowly and creeping quietly through the darkness, Kim crawled on the floor. By standing she could easily have triggered a multitude of traps, from trap doors to death traps, but by crawling she constantly moved her arms around to see if she could feel anything. She kept close to a wall in case the hallway curved or anything else. But she made sure not to move on unless it was safe. She had been doing this for at least five minutes and there had been not a single threat.

This wasn't a method Kim was really comfortable or familiar with, but she took Yori and Eiji's word on the challenges of the temple. Before, temples were just that, but this was different. She could almost hear the temple breathing, or even its heartbeat. It wasn't organic or alive, but this wasn't something she could easily navigate through. This temple was the result of supernatural powers, not people who wished to go in and come back out easily. It wasn't designed for people to come out.

She took it seriously, and without any kind of light, she was forced to.

Feeling stairs ahead of her, she slowly got back onto her feet and kept a hand on the wall. But as she slowly made her way down, she also took a defensive stance despite being unable to see. Had there been any light, Kim would have realized that the ten minutes she spent crawling on the floor, could have been easily covered by foot in less than twenty seconds. But she slowly went step by step, waving her available hand to try to feel anything.

Suddenly, the stairs completely collapsed. With nothing to grab a hold of and without her grappling hook handy, she was sent falling below with the crumbling debris.

* * *

Yori couldn't believe him. She just couldn't believe him. Here she was keeping a lookout for anything, and what did he do? He fell asleep. Sure, anyone could have said that Val was resting his eyes, the biggest excuse in the book, but you couldn't defend yourself with that when you were snoring. 

Because he was sitting just a couple of feet away from her, Yori was able to get a small glimpse of all the equipment in his jacket. An everyday person could tell you what was inside, but being familiar with many weapons, Yori knew these weren't just things purchased off the internet. Rare items and weapons, some beautifully articulated, and the one object that came to mind was Val's sword. It was extremely decorative, with several circular holes on the blade itself, to encryptions and writing. For some reason, the word "blame" was on the blade. The hand guard had the yin-yang symbol on it, but it was really eye-catching, so much that Yori wanted to take a closer look. He was still snoring, and she thought one look wouldn't hurt.

Only problem was, you couldn't really see the details with a hand on your throat. Instantly awoken, Val was.

"What are you doing?" he asked.

"Forgive me," Yori apologized with an embarrassed look on her face, "I just happened to notice your sword, that's all."

Smiling, he put his hand down and lifted his sword for Yori to see, but not for her to grab. She inspected it carefully, amazed by such intricate details. Most people usually don't get their swords designed since it never helped in combat, and if you used a decorative sword and got beaten, you'd be laughed at for ages to come. But with Val's skill with a sword, which almost immortalized him, why not?

Just then, Yori's attention came off the sword and she quickly stood upward, facing the direction they all came from. She had a fierce look in her eyes, and Val noticed.

"You see something?"

Yori became even more puzzled. "N… No. No, I don't." She could have sworn she sensed or felt something, but she couldn't see anything.

* * *

A mile away, he trembled. Yori's eyes were in the center of the scope, and if she didn't know any better, she was looking directly eye-to-eye with the sharpshooter. Wearing leaf camouflage, the young boy, probably eighteen, lowered his sniper rifle. He was just shocked out of his mind. 

'_Th… that's impossible…'_ he thought to himself. _'No one can see me from all the way over here… not even a ninja!'_

"Sven!" a voice yelled. "What's the matter?"

He climbed down the tree carefully, making sure not to slip on it. Anyone could see the fear in his eyes, and the gun trembled in his hands.

"I… I think they know we're here, Commander Hanteren."

Sean, wearing similar camouflage but without the leaves, slapped his forehead as he walked towards the sniper. "How is that possible? What part of stealth assassination don't you understand?"

Sven tried to defend himself. "But sir, we're over a mile away! No one can see us from here, and it was difficult enough just to get one of them in the scope of my gun, with the leaves in the way and all!"

It looked like Sean was about to backhand Sven and knock him to the ground, but he refrained from doing so. Instead, he placed a hand on his shoulder. The other four just watched.

"Do you know why you five are called 'The Fingers'?"

"Yes…" Sven sheepishly replied.

"Because we screw people," Sean was proud to boast, thinking of the name on his own. "We do things rough and dirty and take no prisoners. We were one of the toughest teams of Hard Police, always getting what we want, whenever we wanted, and doing anything to achieve that goal. In this case, you were supposed to take out that ninja girl and Legion, without giving them a chance. They should have never saw it coming." He groaned loudly. "And this is why I hate ninjas. They ruin everything."

"_And who are you to talk about those who practice Ninjitsu?"_

Realizing this wasn't one of the voices of his teenage comrades, Sean turned around to see that the other three were being taken hostage by what appeared to be-

"Is this some stupid joke?" he asked. "Monkeys dressed as ninjas? What the heck?"

"I wouldn't talk about them like that if I were you…"

Looking around, Sean saw that he was completely surrounded by the ninjas, and by the time he turned around, he saw that three had taken Sven hostage as well. And by the time he turned around to face none other than Monkey Fist, three more tackled him to the ground and wouldn't let him up.

Fist walked toward Sean and leaned his head down so he could face him. "Stupid boy. Did you really think it would be so easy to kill a ninja?"

Sean tried to fight his way through, but the monkeys were too much. "You're saying guns can't kill ninjas? Lend me some of the stuff you're smoking, old man."

"Old man? Why I never…" It appeared that Fist often forgot about his aged appearance. He quickly became calm, getting an idea. "Monkey Ninjas, release him."

They did as they were told, but Sean was too focused on his hair and face to attack Fist. Suddenly, he was presented with Sven's sniper rifle from another monkey.

"Do you wish to prove me wrong?" Fist challenged. "Go ahead. Shoot the girl or Legion, and see what happens."

Snorting, Sean climbed up a nearby tree and got into position, finding Yori in the scope. Again, she made eye contact with him without realizing it, but he turned the scope so that the one with blue eyes was the target.

"Your ass is mine, Legion."

* * *

Darkness still filled the entire temple, but none of Kim's limbs were touching any kind of ground. After a long, long fall, one where she thought she was gong to die, she fell into a huge pool of water. She was familiar with what was going on and tried to swim to the surface. 

However, there was yet another problem. She bumped her head on the ceiling, but her head didn't come out of the water prior to that. Not only was she trapped underwater, but something was trying to pull her under. It wasn't something physical like an animal or a creature, but the current was a vacuum. Unable to see, Kim tried as hard as she could to swim away and stay up, hoping to find an opening of some kind.

Time wasn't on her side, and she couldn't feel anything. She was swimming in darkness with no escape.

* * *

Yori took a quick gaze at Val, who had suddenly stood upward. "Do you feel it, too?" 

He narrowed his eyes. "Quite…"

Both of them had a tight grip on their swords. Just seconds later, a loud thundering noise could be heard, and the sounds of metal clashing was soon to follow.

The oncoming bullet that flew at them?

Sliced in four.

Once by Yori's blade, which split it perfectly in half, and the second time by Val's. Two perfect 45 degree swings of two swords.

The two briefly looked at each other before looking back towards the jungle, waiting and ready for anything.

* * *

Kim was having no luck in finding any kind of opening, not even where she fell from. But as the minutes flew off the clock, she couldn't hold her breath much longer, and it was getting to the point where it was really starting to hurt, almost affecting her consciousness. She swam around in circles, being pulled back by the vacuum current. Eventually, the pain in her face became too much to bear, and she gave up. She had to breathe, even if water was going to fill her lungs, and she couldn't fight the current anymore. 

Letting it all go, she was sucked away.

* * *

Sven merely freaked out, but Sean fell off the tree branch as a result of what happened. Trying to hide his embarrassment, he tried to aim his gun while standing and at ground level. 

"Let me try again."

Monkey Fist had a monkey seize the weapon, laughing at Sean's effort. "Even if you knew how to aim that weapon, the result would be no different. You know nothing of the powers of Ninjitsu."

Sean smirked. "Really? Can _you_ slice a bullet in half?"

Fist scoffed. "I have no use for swords, for no weapon is deadlier than the human body."

"I have the advantage, then."

Sean quickly pulled out a handgun from under his shirt, and didn't take a second to aim and fire. Once again, his jaw dropped with a bemused shock on his face,

For Monkey Fist actually _caught_ the bullet between two of his fingers. Not suffering any kind of pains or burns, by merely flicking his fingers, the bullet flew back at Sean just as fast as it did coming out of the barrel of the gun. It flew into Sean's left shoulder, no different than if Fist shot the gun himself, and it knocked him to the ground. Bleeding and yelling, he held his shoulder as he tried to crawl, but Fist just stared at him, smirking.

"You have nothing…" He then stood upward. "Come, Monkey ninjas. We have no further business here. Release the children and let's be on our way."

Once The Fingers were released, they quickly ran towards their leader and tried to attend to his wound. Sean tried to shove them away, hoping to get some payback at Monkey Fist, but he couldn't get up.

"Who… Who the hell are you?" Sean demanded.

Fist shot Sean a sinister glare. "I am Monkey Fist. You would be wise to remember it, for soon you and everyone else on this planet will _bow_ to it…"

Sean finally managed to push his boys off, but by then, Fist was already long gone, with no sign of his horde of monkeys.

* * *

Kim could feel her body being thrown around in several directions, spinning wildly in the water's current. If there was any light, she would have seen that her face was blue, not from the lack of oxygen but by holding her breath for too long, overdoing it to the point where she almost knocked herself out. Her body was flying upwards, downwards, side to side, upside down and everything. 

Finally, she felt a ton of air, freefalling into another pool, but this time the water didn't reach the ceiling. Strange considering the room on the upper floor was, but whatever. Kim was glad to be breathing again, but once again there was no light. But it might not have been necessary to see in this room, for she heard something that sounded like a waterfall nearby. Her body was slowly moving forward, probably by the current, and it wasn't long before her feet touched the ground. Oddly enough, it felt like a ramp moving upward, and Kim soon had the water only up to her knees. Still skeptical of this waterfall, she wandered slowly. She wasn't sure if it was the right direction to go, whether the waterfall was really a waterfall or the actual path. Still, the current wasn't strong at all, and as she approached closer to the edge, the water only got lower until she couldn't feel herself stepping on it.

Right when Kim realized that, she realized her toes didn't touch the ground, but air. Wondering if there was any ground below, Kim knelt down and tried to reach for anything. Nothing. Then, realizing there was a small crevice on the edge of the stone floor, perfect for placing her fingers into, she grabbed onto the edge and let herself down. She hung on with her fingers safely in place, but she didn't feel anything on her feet. The only thing she did feel was water splashing on her hair. Because she kept close to the wall and it was to her right, she made her way towards her left, and the water didn't interfere with her progress. So far, there were no stairs or anything of the sort, something she might have expected. Reaching the wall on the opposite side of the room, and hearing intense rushing water below her, she realized this was probably a death drop. So she hurled herself upward, walked back toward the deep end of the pool, and swam around looking for any kind of alternative route.

Upon returning to the water, she noticed that it was actually very warm, as opposed to the cold water on the upper floor. Strange.

It turned out there was a door the opposite the waterfall, and it wasn't a water cavern. Kim felt a platform and climbed on it, carefully wandering through it. It was narrow, and she had a hand for each wall.

* * *

Yori and Val seemed somewhat perplexed. With a shot fired at them, and seeing the heat come from all four bullet parts, they were sure they were going to be ambushed. But nothing had happened within the last five or so minutes. Yori still had a firm grip on her blade, but she didn't understand why the shot wasn't aimed at either of them. Had they not sliced the bullet, it would have struck right between them. Val thought it could have been a ploy to get one of them, probably him, running off after the attacker, and anyone else could have ambushed Yori. 

Yori had her attention on the map, while Val had his attention strictly on anything that moved. While the scent that Kim and Yori carried were of shampoo from their hair, a scent Val wouldn't mind being stuck in prison with, there were other scents that weren't of the wilderness. One was cheap hair gel and ammunition. The other smelled of bananas, a fruit not seen in the area. He knew they weren't alone, but thought it was best not to inform Kim. That way she wouldn't worry about anything else but her journey. Besides, he and Yori would handle it.

Somewhat frustrated, Yori realized that Val knew all along, and his reasons for not saying a word.

The two still kept their guard, especially after hearing that second shot fired.

* * *

Kim was growing less afraid of what was going on, but a lot more irritated. She was in a labyrinth of some sorts, and the walls became more narrow, having no need to stretch her arms out to touch them. Suddenly, she wound up walking straight into a wall, nose first. It hurt like hell at first, then she realized the tunnel turned left. She reached out again to find any openings, but the path was so long and without any twists or turns, that she decided to put her arms down. 

_BONK_

Again, she walked into the wall, and she could already feel blood in her nose.

"Ow! Stupid wall…"

Then she felt another opening to her right. It wasn't a maze with dead ends, but a labyrinth with no light whatsoever was a pain in the-

_BONK_

"Ow!" Kim cried as she rubbed her nose. "Dumb temple…"

Another left turn, and this time she'd put her arms out in front of her, no different than a mummy would in an old movie. If there was one upside to the darkness, is that no one would have to see her like this. It was bad enough that one time where Ron spent the night at Kim's place, thanks to a return from cousin Sean, and he had the couch again. This time, he discovered another oddity about his girlfriend he never knew about. He watched Kim actually sleepwalk, with arms stretched out in front of her, all the way into the kitchen. When she came out, she had a donut sticking halfway out her mouth before she walked back upstairs. When he woke her up the next morning to tell her what happened, she was mortified to find the donut still in her mouth. And to think that she often scared him throughout the relationship.

Cute memory, she thought, but she wound up running into a wall again. But because of her hands, her nose wasn't the first thing to hit it. But when she reached towards both her sides, there was nothing but wall. She hit a dead end. She was about to grow frustrated, not because of the dead end, but the fact she'd have to navigate through the labyrinth again. But then she felt something in front of her. Parts of the stone wall were sticking out, and they weren't just aged rocks. They were the same distance from each other, and Kim instantly realized it was a kind of ladder.

And what a long climb it was.

Reaching the top, Kim could hear the sound of rushing water towards her right side. Putting her ear closer to the wall, it sounded like a tunnel filled with running water. It was probably the vacuum that sucked her in earlier. But she noticed this was a much bigger room, having to walk a few feet from the ladder to the wall. She chose to crawl again as she went ahead, and it was a good thing she did. The first thing she felt was a brick that was stuck out above the rest. And speaking of the rest, they were all shattered and broken, as if they were crushed by something huge repeatedly. This was definitely not a trap to be triggered unless you wanted your entire skeleton to be crushed. She crept past it slowly, looking out for any other bricks that stuck out. A few minutes later, she found another one, but figured since the earlier trap probably was a huge stone that came coming from above, this one must've come from the sides. She kept going past them, feeling several more but refusing to set them off, until she reached the end of the room. It felt like another dead end for the most part, and she pressed her body against the wall to see if she could feel anything, going from the right side of the room to the left. Thankfully, she felt what appeared to be a door, but it was closed. But pressing against it and going from right to left, she felt a small crack, an opening. She grabbed the edge of the opening and pulled back on the door, hoping to open it, but it just wouldn't budge.

Finally, it flew back, and Kim pulled so hard on it that she wound up falling on the floor, but not _just_ the floor. Her back hit one of the trap bricks, and it sank with a click.

Realizing this, she quickly got on her feet and dove into the now-open door, hearing a loud crash behind her before she landed. It was definitely the sound of two huge stones smashing against each other.

Getting on her feet, her eyes opened up, and now she could actually see them if she tried. At the end of the hallway was another hallway, and the second one had some kind of light in it. She couldn't see the details on the walls, floor or ceiling, so she excitedly crept through the hallway, ready for anything. But as she kept getting closer, there appeared to be no threats of any kind.

Finally, after getting to the end, she could finally see her hands, and there it stood.

Jade Monkey Statue #1, and it was glowing. It stood at the top and far end of the wall. Instead of stairs, it was just a long hallway that slanted upward. However, Kim didn't have a good feeling about this place. The floor and walls were completely flat. Smooth flat. No bricks or uneven rock. She even took her glove off to feel it, and it felt like marble. Still, the whole hallway was glowing, and she raced to the top to grab the Jade Monkey. However, the recorded footage showed that it normally glowed yellow. This time, it was a greenish cyan color.

Kim quickly grabbed it after the long climb, and once it was in her hands, the stand that it was on sank to the ground. She expected the roars of a trap of some kind, but the place was silent. Everything was over.

She felt relieved. The first Jade Monkey Statue had been retrieved. While she expected for this temple to be much worse, probably being ambushed with all kinds of traps from floating spikes to rooms filled with giant insects, the whole obstacle course being in pitch-black darkness did keep her on her toes. Still wondering if this was supernatural powers at work, Kim pulled out her flashlight.

Sure enough, it turned on.

Unlike many times in the past, though, she felt proud that she managed to get through everything, her first true challenge in a long time, and one she was still able to overcome. While she was afraid coming in, she kept reminding herself mentally that she was doing this for Ron's sake, and that kept her going. No equipment, no one else, all just her.

Yet, she didn't feel challenged enough for some reason. Something was missing. She let a minute pass before letting out a sigh of relief.

"Great. No giant rolling ball of doom."

And just then, _just_ then, she heard a loud rumbling noise approaching her. Realizing the hallway was square-shaped, the width of the floor, walls and ceiling being the same, and with the incline of the floor, she had a really, really bad feeling about this. And as the rumbling noise got closer and louder, she saw it.

A giant rolling ball of doom.

Kim's eyes widened. "You have _got_ to be _kidding_ me!"

When it came to the movies, Kim was one of those people who thought, _'Come on! Don't run away from it! Run to the sides, dummy! The sides!'_ And she would have done it in this situation. But since the ball barely fit, taking up the whole corridor, she did what anybody else would have done in the same situation: Run like hell.

Unfortunately, she didn't any advantage over the ball, since she was running down an incline. She ran faster, but the ball also rolled faster. She kept her eyes open for any holes in the walls and floor for her body to slip in, but nothing. If anything, she almost lost her balance as the incline got steeper. She tried to run with everything she had, but turning her head back, she saw that the ball was definitely coming closer to her, and faster than she thought. She didn't see any kind of exit, and didn't even have any thoughts as to whether there was an exit at the end. All she knew is that she was running as fast as she could, and just when everything was going so well, the ball was coming too fast.

And worst only got worse. She didn't look where she was running and tripped.

* * *

"_DAAAAAAMMMMMMNNNNNN!"_ was the sound heard throughout the jungle, loud enough to send birds flying. 

Yori wasn't familiar with the voice, but Val was. It was Sean, who was probably not only on a new level of mad thanks to being 'shot' by Monkey Fist, but he also had to be escorted out of the jungle for his wound to be attended to. So much for following Kim, and Val just loved the thought of it. He got exactly what he deserved, although Fist was far too lenient, he thought.

But the question was, how did he know she was here? Yori would be the last person to earth to give an enemy any kind of information, and Val had nothing to do with it. He wondered.

* * *

"Why me?" a deprived Kim asked. 

Fortunately for her, all the luck in the world decided to have its way with her. Yes, she tripped. No, the ball didn't come to a stop.

As she tripped, she tried to shoot her other leg outward to maintain her balance, but that didn't work. What it did instead was sent her body flying towards the corner of the wall and floor, and fearing the worst, she tried to lay down as hard as she could while keeping a grip on the monkey.

There was just barely enough room for her to fit, and the ball rolled past her without harming her.

But that wasn't the end. Kim landed on perfectly flat terrain, not curved upward in any way. While she heard the ball fly past her, it sounded like it bumped against something, and the rumbling noise slowed down, as if it came to a stop. The lighting from the Jade monkey was too limited to show what happened, but it wasn't long before she could hear the ball.

It was coming back. The darn corridor was shaped like a half-pipe, though not as rounded. Still, Kim kept her position as the ball came right back at her and went past her again. And it came back again. And again, and again and again and again.

It finally stopped after a while, but where exactly? Right where Kim took the dive. She was barely given enough room to move, so for at least ten minutes she struggled to get out. And she did.

Getting up with the Jade Monkey in her hands, she was convinced this was over, and continued back up the corridor, where the ball didn't reach. She was sure there was something at the end, and there was. But it was truly the last thing she or anybody else would have expected… again. But this time it was for real.

A glowing EXIT sign. Flickering with an electric buzz. White light with red letters. The same kind you'd see in the movie theaters.

"Ooooooo-kay?"

Shrugging her shoulders, Kim was able to see the door with the light of the Monkey.

* * *

"What time is it?" Yori asked, seeing that Val was looking at his watch. 

"I'm looking at my stopwatch, actually," he answered without turning his attention away. "Kim's actually been in there for an hour and thirty-seven minutes. My, how time flies."

"Hmm… I wonder how much longer she'll be in there."

"Not a second longer," Kim's voice replied.

Turning around, the two found Kim right behind them, letting out a proud smile with a dangerous look in her eyes, and holding the Jade Monkey statue.

"Great job, Possible-san!" Yori congratulated, offering Kim her bag. "But what was it like in there?"

Kim took the bag and put the Tempus Simia inside, having no further need for it now. "You know, it wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. It was kinda spooky in there, and the exit didn't make much sense at all… I don't even know how I got back out here."

Expecting for Val to ruin the mood, he asked a rather different question. "What's up with your nose?"

Kim briefly rubbed it. "Couldn't see in the dark. But really, that was nothing. I expected for everything in this temple to be _so_ much worse."

"Don't think the next three will be as easy," Val said as he put away his weapon, "I have no doubt they will truly test your mind and skills."

"Hey, with what I saw today," Kim casually responded, "I'm ready for anything."

Time would tell whether or not she truly was.


	17. 16: Into the Dark Abyss of Death

Interesting trivia I just found out, not related to the story but the series: Did you readers know that Mark McCorkle and Robert Schooley (the creators of KP, duh) actually worked on the Super Mario Brothers Super Show? I'm a retro junkie, so I picked that up, and was surprised to see those names not just as the writers of some of the cartoons, but recording assistants as well. Just figured that might be interesting for those who also rushed home from school just to watch that show as a kid.

Now with that off my mind, back to the story, and since school's finally out, hopefully we can resume our normal weekly updates. More references and some Castlevania influence. With that said, I hope you didn't eat anything recently, because some of this stuff might not be fun for the light-hearted, so consider yourself warned. Ambient music recommended.

**Chapter 16: Into the Dark Abyss of Death**

**

* * *

**

The day had been long, and it was coming to an end. The sunset was nothing but the flame lighting up the skies, with such a scorching burn she could swear the sun was on the other side of the hill.

Kim was successful in retrieving the first Jade Monkey statue in the jungles of Tanzania, and with a new boost of confidence, she was more than eager to retrieve the other three. So eager that she demanded that Wade find the next location, without rest or sleep on anyone's part. It was still early in the morning when Kim escaped the rather peculiar temple that housed the first Jade Monkey, so if Wade could find out where the next temple was, one that was mysteriously invisible, they could get the next one before calling it a night.

The first one wasn't too difficult to find because there was suddenly an empty field in the jungles in Tanzania. That was too easy. But this time, Wade couldn't find anything similar, at least not immediately, anyway. It took Wade ten minutes to find something peculiar on his satellites, sand blowing and gathering against something that wasn't there. It was in the shape of a pyramid, and while he couldn't confirm it was their next location, Kim chose to check it out.

Their next stop was in Giza, Egypt.

But as luck would have it, it wasn't as simple as grabbing a private jet and zooming halfway across the world in a few minutes. When the party got back to civilization, Kim was astounded to find out that "Wanted" flyers had been spread throughout the area, all with her face on it.

That wasn't what got her spirits down, though. It was the fact that bad pictures didn't just plague her in high school, but it seemed that it plagued her everywhere. She didn't even know where the picture came from. Her hair was all over the place like she had woken up, and she had atrocious shadows under her eyes, like she had gone three weeks without sleeping. And people would probably guess that because she was yawning in the picture as well. She looked like a zombie, really.

So came the disguises again, Val got another private plane for everyone, one headed towards Egypt, and they were all on their way. The plane ride wasn't exactly nice and relaxing, but rather the opposite. Val revealed Sean's interference and that he also sensed Monkey Fist and his league of ninjas, and Kim wasn't too thrilled that he didn't tell her this while they were going through the jungle. He stood by his reasons as always, though. He didn't want Kim to be worried about being followed while she went through the darkness of that temple. She needed to concentrate without stress, and that was something she wasn't able to do since Ron left, and even now. If she was at the top of her game, she would have gotten out of that temple a lot sooner. But she wasn't. And that's what this whole journey was about.

She didn't realize it before, but what Yori told her had more meaning than she let on. This wasn't a simple "Get them all!" deal. The temples were all somehow forged by mystical powers, just waiting to test the one who stepped foot inside. It sounded a bit odd at first, but Kim needed it more than anything. Not to retrieve the statues, but for what came afterward: Ron. There was no doubt in her mind that she would have to confront him directly, and in her current state she wouldn't stand a chance against him. She truly hoped there would be another way, probably to convince him that he's being possessed, but it wasn't enough to fight the thoughts in the back of her head. It was all going to end with a final duel between two lovers.

She had been doing a lot of thinking these last several hours, really. She had been driving the jeep through the desert for at least three hours straight, only because the destination was nowhere near civilization. It also helped that her comrades hadn't said a word for two of those hours, for neither of them got much sleep the night before. Yori and Val didn't even bother to wear their usual garb in this weather, which was still scorching even in December. Yori wore a casual outfit; black shirt with brown shorts. She didn't look like a ninja whatsoever, and she took shotgun. Val simply took his coat off, but not before taking out every water bottle and beverage for the other girls to drink down, presuming that Yori didn't fall asleep as well. Although he and Yori were completely out, Kim was wide awake, excited inside and eager to get to the second destination.

And even though she knew Sean and Fist were following her around, probably not here in Egypt but throughout the journey, they didn't really enter her mind. She preferred to drive cars over big vehicles, and while the engine wasn't exactly brand new, there was something about the long drive that soothed her mind. She had a lot to worry about, but for once it didn't involve school. Endless guys and girls giving her a hard time in college. Egomaniacal professors who didn't know everything. Struggling on a paper for a week because she couldn't figure out how to start of finish it. The endless pranks. No one to have conversations with in her room or anywhere in the city. No sleep because of loud parties. And everything, being all alone.

And yet, she was alone here and now, but it felt so much different. Just a relaxing drive and getting away from everything. Was it all that that dragged her down? College? No, at least not all of it, anyway. Ron still played a huge role in her life and without him there was still that empty void in her heart. But maybe without the college stress, and the thoughts of getting Ron back, that was enough to give her a huge load of confidence back. And she needed it. It also helped that the radio had a lot of relaxing guitar tunes on it. Perfect for the mood.

She was ready for that second temple, but remembered to tell herself it wouldn't be cake.

Finally, she gently applied the brakes so the other two wouldn't be abruptly awakened.

"We're here."

Then came the fun part. With Kim holding the Jade Monkey statue in one hand, they all climbed to the very top of the pyramid. There was no other opening than the very top. The sun was going to disappear soon, so the two ninjas put back on their usual garb, ready to embrace the cold weather of the night. They would keep an eye out for any intruders just as they did before.

And again, Kim had to go in without any of her equipment, sans a flashlight. Only this time, she made the choice on her own.

"Good luck," Yori wished her.

"Prepare yourself for anything," Val warned her.

Kim merely nodded her head before stepping foot inside. Suddenly, a door trapped her in.

No turning back now.

* * *

"_Now, I'm sure everything will be fine."_

"Oh, I don't know. What if this is really it?"

"_Now, Drewby, don't you act like that! It was that kind of behavior that made you do those awful things in the first place! Taking over the world… I thought I raised you better than that!"_

"You're right, mother, you're right…"

"_I'm sure that pretty young lady will come back to work for you soon. And don't you try to get her involved in anymore taking-over-the-world things, okay? That's probably why she quit in the first place. You're a radio doctor, not a mad scientist! Stick to your real work! And what have I told you before?"_

Drakken sighed. "Big boys don't cry…"

"_That's right. I'm glad you're showing your more affectionate side, Drew, but don't overdo it! Crying doesn't suit a big man like you!"_

"I know."

"_Well, my soaps are starting soon. You let me know if things get better, okay?"_

"Yes, mother."

"_Bye Drewby! I love you!"_

"I love you too, mom…"

Just as Drakken hit 'END', he grabbed the pillow and burst out into tears. "It's already been four days! Shego's not coming back!" As he cried, he grabbed a picture of her from the dresser. It was like an autograph, saying 'Bite me,' followed by her signature.

"Where did we go wrong?" he pondered, "I thought we were a team… the mad scientist and his assistant! I thought we were going to go down in history as the perfect team, like C3PO and R2D2, the next Mario and Luigi, popular as Sonic and Tails, Beavis and Butt-head even, cool as Erin Ensurance and that… one guy, or as dope as Snake and Otacon! I thought we were like Doc and Marty, inseparable like Lilo and Stitch, Dante and Randal, Ami and Yumi, Fry and Bender, Batman and Robin… Teen Titans Robin, I mean. Uh, Yeah… Oh, Shego, why won't you come back or answer my calls anymore?"

He looked upward to find one of his henchmen standing in front of the door. Drakken tried to wipe away the tears before lifting his face up. "What are you doing here?"

"We've got an incoming message on the computer."

Drakken was out of there in a heartbeat.

He ran towards the main computer, which had the words '_Incoming Message_' flashing on it. He pressed a button as quickly as he could, and his hopeful smile quickly went to an embittered frown of disappointment.

"Oh, Lexis, it's just you…"

Normally, the screen would have a clear visual on the person talking, but in this case, the figure was completely hidden behind massive interference. The only thing Drakken could make out was the silhouette of a woman with short hair. No other details could be seen.

"_Not exactly the kind of warm welcome I was expecting, doctor."_

"What do you want?" Drakken asked in his usual unfriendly manner.

"_What's up with you?"_

He looked away. "Nothing, forget it…"

"_If you say so," _she said with an unconvinced tone, _"But I need a little help, regarding Possible and Ryan's whereabouts."_

"And why would someone like you need _that_ kind of information?" Drakken asked skeptically.

"_Well, you see, I would've thought that since Stoppable decided to flee from Kowloon, that Possible and Ryan would be hot on his trail. But I haven't detected even the slightest of attempts to track him down."_

Drakken just tapped his fingers on the keyboard, looking less upset. "They seem to be seeking out some ancient monkey relics to reverse Stoppable's condition. Right now they're somewhere in Egypt."

"_Huh, interesting. You know, you seem a lot calmer about the situation than I expected. I would have thought that with Possible locating Stoppable, it would have interfered with this plan of yours that you tell me _so_ much about."_

"Oh, I'm not surprised, Lexis," he said with a smirk. "And you know why? Because it was anticipated."

"_Is that so? Would that happen to be part of your plan as well?"_

"Mmmm… You _could_ say that…" he said modestly.

"_Even so, this plan of yours intrigues me, doctor. _Do_ tell what you have in store for the others."_

"I'd love to, but I simply can't," he said with a yawn. "I'm far too tired to explain. Last night at the bar just _drained_ me."

"_Excuses… I see Shego's absence hasn't stopped you from going to Karaoke every Friday,"_ Lexis speculated.

"Yeah. I never realized how quiet and dry… not just this place, but the karaoke bar is withou… wait, you knew about Shego?"

"_About her quitting?"_ she asked with a laugh,_ "Of course. Why _wouldn't_ I know something like that?"_

Drakken merely growled. "How? Never mind, that's none of your business!"

"_Oh well. I'm guessing her resignation wasn't part of your plan, then?"_

"No…" he bitterly remarked.

The woman scoffed. _"Huh. Some genius plan… This had better be worth i-"_

He hung up on her, angry and frustrated beyond belief. He stomped back to his room shortly afterward, at least until he remembered that he had to clean up after Commodore Puddles. Obviously, it wasn't a good day for him.

* * *

At first, Kim walked in feeling relieved. Fortunately, there was no need for a flashlight since the entire pyramid was lit with torches. She still kept it handy in case they went out for whatever reason, but as she had traversed through the pyramid, it didn't feel like the pyramid had been created by mystical powers. The labyrinth felt no different than every other deep and dark pyramid she had entered before, although she wasn't familiar with this one. But there were several traps. She had been inside for a half hour now, and already she had floors collapse on her, flamethrowers from all directions going off, poison arrows fly at her, spike traps popping from the ground, and a few pendulums with huge axes.

She would say before stuff like this was no big, and this would be no different. A lot of the floors that collapsed on her fell apart before she got close to them. While the distance was too far to jump in most cases, she leapt from wall to wall to get across. There were a couple of times where the floor collapsed while she was on it, but she was close to the end to grab onto the edge and pull herself back up. The flamethrowers appeared to go off in same-second intervals, so it was all a matter of timing. Easy. Poison arrows always had a sound to react to, and they never got too close to the walls or the floor, so Kim kept close to those. Spike traps were probably the most vicious so far, as they popped out in an instant, and there wasn't a single spike that was shorter than Kim was. But, since they came out just as she was within a few inches of it, and slowly went back in, Kim was able to see how big the trap was. So she took a few steps back, got a running start with a few front flips and did a handspring, launching herself high above and over the spikes, landing gracefully on her feet.

"And he said cheerleading did nothing for me… hmph!" she said after tackling the first spike trap.

The pendulums? Jump on the chain and grab on, place the feet on the safe areas of the axe, then leap to another. No big. And really, she was feeling disappointed. These are things she had tackled long ago.

Then things started to get a little more tense. Even though she was heading into the deep depths of the pyramid, there seemed to be quite a lot of pits and death drops. Kim was still jumping on a series of swinging axes, but she never realized they weren't axes anymore, but huge boulders . They were still swinging back and forth, but they weren't blocking a path anymore. Looking down, there was nothing under them but pure darkness. It did startle Kim at first, realizing the only way across was to jump from swinging ball to swinging ball, and that she had already crossed five, and there were eight to go. She took a deep breath, waited for the next one to come, and took the jump.

Success. And she continued to wait until the next one came by, leapt off and grabbed onto the chain. So far so good. And she continued until she reached the other side, where two doors stood side by side. There appeared to be writing on each door, but in several languages, to the point where Kim had to get on her belly to find the English translation all the way on the very bottom.

She stood up with a completely bewildered look on her face once she read what each door read.

The left door said, "Do not enter." The right door said, "Use other door."

"Are you kidding me?" Kim asked out loud. Mystical powers sure had a sense of humor, huh? She took her time thinking…

Left.

She would have opened it in this case, but instead, the door didn't budge at all. She pressed her whole body against it, but it just wouldn't move. Finally, she realized there was a handle built on it. No wonder it didn't open; she pushed when she had to pull. So she did and entered the room.

There was something peculiar about this room. Not because it was the brightest room of all, and not because it was just massive, but because it was empty. Sure, there were several designs on the walls, but that was it. No peculiar flamethrower statues, nothing standing out on the floor, no swinging weapons, nothing. She crept carefully, prepared for anything. There had to be some kinds of traps just waiting to sucker her in. When she got into the middle of the room, she could see that there weren't any other doors than the one she came in.

Then she heard it. Some kind of growling noise. And vibration. _Heavy_ vibration. She wasn't alone in this room.

Just then, something huge came falling from the air, a ceiling that was too high to see, and came crashing to the ground in front of her. Like a missile had gone off, the room was filled with smoke, dirt and debris, with so much force that it almost knocked Kim off her feet.

As it cleared, Kim was presented with a sight that wasn't too pleasant. Even though she could barely see, she made out what appeared to be the skull of an ape, and it wasn't small, either. It was gigantic, so gigantic that she could fit in its eye. Actually, the eye socket was the size of her room.

Then it moved. It didn't twitch; the thing moved around, back and forth. As the smoke cleared more, there was also a body to go with it. Like the head, it was all skeletal, and it moved as well.

It was alive.

Then it looked at Kim. The smoke had finally cleared, and it was ready to charge into her, but not before letting out a huge roar that shook the entire room, sending more dirt falling from above, and this was enough to knock Kim off her feet. Then it charged. Kim stood firm, letting the big brute make its first move. Instead of trying to eat her or bite her in half, the behemoth swiped its hand at her. Kim would have been able to leap out of the way, but only if the hand wasn't as big as her room. She took the full blow, and it was more than enough to send her flying into the wall, almost destroying it. She fell like an iron ball, barely conscious.

But the ape showed no mercy, standing on its hands and ready to crush Kim with his feet. But because he didn't put his fingers or toes together, Kim rolled in-between them as they crashed down near her, but she went flying with the debris from the impact, but managed to land on her feet. She ran around, trying to confuse the monster. In retaliation, it roared at her again, which sent her flying across the room. But as she flew, it stopped and ran towards her, making his move just as she landed on the ground. It actually attempted to crush Kim with its forehead, no different than a martial artist trying to break five bricks with his skull. Seeing this, Kim didn't try to move away, but she ran towards the oncoming head.

The shockwave was insane, so much that several of the bones wound up cracking. Kim was safe from this, though, as she was able to fit perfectly through one of the eye sockets. She ran quite a distance from this demon as it tried to pull its head from the ground. She looked for anything that could destroy it. But there were no weapons, no trap doors, and she didn't have any weapons on her, either. Unfortunately, she wound up with an instant migraine thanks to that blow from the ape earlier. She was fortunate to be conscious after getting sent into the wall like that.

But the ape was able to pull its head from the floor, growling in pain and anger. Again, it focused its sight on Kim, and immediately charged at her. It was incredibly fast, not giving Kim a second to develop a strategy further. Its jaws went wide open and tried to bite her torso off, but Kim actually leapt into the mouth and out through the other end. The ape wasn't stupid, though. It knew she was below him and fell flat on its ribs in an attempt to crush her. But Kim was a quick one, far away by the time it happened. She was opposite the door, but this time, the ape tried to slam its two fists into her. But its arms weren't together and that was her opening. She ran past the fists, and the impact of the blow sent her high into the air, between the arms, and over the monster.

But before she knew it, it was charging at her again, but it didn't stop to make a move. It was going to ram into her and crush her body into the wall. Even though many of its bones were fractured in several areas, it didn't slow the ape down one bit. It kept its body low, preventing Kim from running under it, and its limbs were moving all over the place, guaranteed to knock Kim down or into the wall if it struck her.

Realizing she couldn't really destroy this thing, she ran towards the door. She got there long before the monkey could, and got out of there. She tried to close the door, but realizing placing her back against it wasn't a smart idea, she crouched low in front of the right wall, with a firm grip on the handle of the right door.

Almost as if TNT was placed inside the left room, the entire place shook with such a violent earthquake, that it sent Kim back over the edge. Had she not grabbed the handle of the right door, she would have fallen to her death plain and simple. Smoke flew right out from the left room, among debris and huge rocks. It ended just as quickly as it started. After Kim got a hold of herself, hearing no noise from the left room, she peeked her head in, finding skeletal remains everywhere.

The ape wound up destroying itself by running into the near-indestructible wall. She hoped maybe there was some secret door that would lead further down the pyramid, but after searching the room for ten minutes, she found absolutely nothing. She went back outside and grabbed the handle of the right door.

"I will _never_ walk into a door that says _'Do Not Enter' _again…"

And just as she walked into the right door, a trap door opened and she fell into it. However, she managed to grab onto the ledge, just barely. But the door closed on her, pushing her fingers off.

She was sent into the dark abyss below.

However, Kim didn't look _inside_ the skeletal ape. Had she, she would have found exactly what she was looking for where the brain would have been.

That's right, the second Jade Monkey statue.

But it didn't remain in the room for long. Through a hidden doorway on the far end of the room, something entered and walked toward what was left of the monster. It climbed inside its skull and came out with the statue. Instead of looking at it, it scampered back to the hidden doorway.

It didn't take Kim five seconds to realize the depth of the fall. It was a long one, and there wasn't a question in her mind whether or not the landing would be a soft one. She'd be lucky to come out with just a broken leg. But without any equipment to save herself, she had to think fast. She wasn't given a lot of room to move around, as the tunnel was very narrow, which was just perfect. She tried to position her body perpendicular to the walls, and just when she was close, she pressed her feet against one wall and her hands against the other. It wasn't the safest move, especially when you were already falling, but Kim had grown accustomed to doing this a few times before. And because she had special gloves on, her hands weren't burned, although she could feel the heat. It didn't appear to be working at first, as she wasn't slowing down much at all. She pressed harder, but as if gravity was working against her, it had a completely different result by throwing her off balance, sending her falling again. Turns out the area widened.

Without the light, Kim couldn't see anything else as she fell, but her body came to an abrupt stop. No crash, no hitting the floor, but she could feel her foot hanging on something. Hurling herself up, it felt like a pole that connected the walls. She was probably in another room. Sure enough, the torches went on and it was another huge room. It wasn't hard to see what the deal was here. There were a series of poles coming out from the walls, and just like upstairs, a bottomless pit below. So, putting her acrobatics to use again, she swung her body back and forth to build momentum, let herself spin around the pole a few times, then launched herself towards the next.

There was a problem, though. The second Kim touched the second pole, she could hear a rumbling sound. The door. It was closing. She quickly tried to build up speed and jump towards the next one, but as she was flying in mid-air, the rumbling stopped. It started again when she grabbed the next pole. The puzzle? Don't stay too long or the door closes. Again, cake for Kim. Just jump from one, use the momentum as she grabbed the next, and use it to send her towards the next one. She was on the other side in less than a minute.

And she really, really didn't like what she was seeing when she went through the door, which slammed shut the second she stepped past it. The path went downward and deeper into the pyramid, but it what was on the walls that was bothering her.

Shelves that went to the far end of the hall, and they were filled entirely with human skulls. She was instantly sickened by the sight. Not because they were skulls, and that the massive corridor had them all the way from the ceiling down, but because they didn't appear to be old. You would see a skull on a documentary and it would look thousands of years old. These ones looked like they were ripped from someone's face just recently. They were all moist, enough so that she could see the light reflecting off of them. The blood on them was still wet, and there must have been thousands of thousands in just this small part of the corridor alone. The path turned and went deeper, with each turn looking the same.

Kim managed to keep her cool on the outside, but inside she felt sick. And when she hoped there was no more to this, she stepped in something extremely moist. She was no longer walking on solid ground, but a pinkish… something. She knelt down to analyze it, knowing more than likely she'd never see something like this again, whether or not she got out of here alive.

It really reminded her of the time she wanted to help her mom at the hospital for mother's day, getting a taste of brain surgery.

Just as her gloved finger slid across the pinkish substance, her cheeks instantly puffed up with something dying to come out. Hesitantly, she swallowed everything back in, and a disgusted look filled her face, realizing what the floor was made out of, along with the taste in her throat.

"It's… _human_ _tissue_!" she cried in disgust. "But… that can't be… yet…" she put two fingers on it, getting a better feel for it, "Ewwweeeeww…. it is…"

But there was no turning back, and there was still a long way to go. So, trying not to freak out, she kept going, with each footstep making a disgusting squishing sound. It appeared that similar tissue started to appear on the corners of the walls, looking like spider webs, and there were no more shelves, but there were still endless skulls piled against the walls. The fact that all of them were staring at Kim made her extremely uneasy, but continued on, hoping the place would go back to normal. It wouldn't. Eventually, the ceiling and walls soon started to look no different than the floor, with the exception that there were skulls inside. She could see through the tissue, seeing them go up and down through some kind of yellow liquid substance, almost like puss. Kim tried to look away but couldn't help but notice the skulls never looked away.

She couldn't deny being tense anymore, or try to hide it. She could hear her heartbeat as the tunnel continued downward toward the right, a spiral of some sorts. If the temple was made by mystical powers and they attempted to strike a fear, oh, they found one all right. But what kind of power created this abomination? Her heartbeat was getting louder and louder on the way down, and other than her wet footsteps, it was the only thing she could hear. She couldn't even hear herself breathe.

It didn't get very dark, though, and in this case she would hope it would be dark so she wouldn't have to see the walls. Instead, they provided the light. Deeper down, the skulls-in-the-liquid walls finally came to an end, only to find gigantic eyeballs sticking halfway out. Worse, they were moving in all kinds of directions. Some looked at her for a split second before moving on. Her heartbeat only got louder and louder.

This place must have been getting to her. She was starting to hallucinate. The walls and ceiling were moving, and all to the beat of her heart. As she continued to descend down the passageway, the beat got louder and louder, to the point where it was almost too much to bear. Something wasn't right. For someone who was almost ready to run out of the place, the beat didn't speed up at all. In fact, it was slow. Very slow. So she checked her pulse, which was faster and different. It wasn't the same at all.

But if that wasn't her heartbeat, then what was it?

And on that thought, it stopped. The entire region was dead silent. Kim had reached the very end of the organic spiral tunnel, but there was nothing. No wall, no door, just pure darkness. She pulled out her flashlight and tried to use it to see what was down there, but like before, it wasn't working.

She figured she might have had to jump down, but making sure it was safe, she ripped off part of the floor tissue, wrapped it up into a ball, and threw it down as hard as she could. In less than a few seconds, she could hear it splat. For something that was shrouded in pitch-black darkness, it wasn't a long fall. So, she held her breath for a mere second before jumping in.

Just as she leapt off, however, the exit to the tunnel was sealed. No light aided her in her fall. She just hoped to the bottom of her heart that there weren't spikes waiting for her below.

She landed on something that was both soft and hard, quickly losing her footing. The thought of it being more tissue and muscle made her get up as fast as she could, not wanting to sit on it for a second longer. It was wet like above, but the surface was extremely uneven, so much that she could barely keep her footing with each step. The ground or whatever she was standing on just moved more and more with each step. She wasn't walking on solid terrain of any kind. Both her feet got stuck several times, but she didn't have to struggle much to get each out. Even now she wasn't used to the squishing noises she made with each step, which sunk from time to time.

Finally, she saw a very dim light on what appeared to be the other side of the chamber. But it was really, really far away. It was past "football field" far away, and not the one in Middleton High. She struggled to run to it, only because of the sinking steps and constantly losing her balance. But on the way over, she heard something, so she stopped. Silence. She continued moving, only to hear something from ahead. Again, she stopped, but whatever was moving stopped a second after she did.

Something down here was alive.

She continued to struggle towards what appeared to be a torch, and the noises continued from both sides. She was starting to hear voices as well, or at least sounds of ominous groaning. But it was echoing throughout the place, as if thousands upon thousands of voices were making the same noise. She kept hearing the other things in the area move, but she didn't stop. The torch was her priority, and she reached it within minutes. Up close Kim was able to see two ropes next to it, just asking for her to light them. So she did, and it wasn't long before the entire room was lit.

Again, what she saw made her cheeks go all puffed up with food from her stomach, but she swallowed it all in again. But just being in the room, just the thought of breathing the same air, she couldn't hold it in anymore.

The floor of the _entire_ football field-sized chamber was made entirely of dead bodies. From one end to the other, and the chamber was shaped like a sphere. Forget thousands, Kim could see probably as much as a million of them, and she realized she must have been a hundred or so feet above the actual floor. They were stacked that high. The fact that she was standing on a few freaked her out even more.

Where on earth did all of these come from? For what purpose?

After wiping her mouth and letting it all out, Kim tried to get back onto her feet. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to grab a meal before turning the keys to the ignition of the jeep…

That aside, she could see that the walls weren't covered with skulls, bodies or tissue, thankfully. She was definitely in a cave, but the ceiling had a peculiar look to it. Abstract-shaped rocks were hanging from as far as she could see.

Then she heard something move again. From the left.

"Who's there?"

She didn't see anything. But she heard the noise again, but this time to her right. She quickly turned around without making a noise, but then she saw it.

It was one of the dead bodies, but it stood still in front of her. But something about the corpse threw Kim off guard. The being had something in its hand, but Kim couldn't tell if this thing was human. It had arms and legs like an ordinary human, fingers and toes as well, but it had no face. No hair, no nose, eyes, not even a mouth or ears. Furthermore, it was impossible to tell if it was a male or female, seriously. It didn't have the parts only males had, nor those that only females had. It didn't even have a butt. But it did have a huge mortal wound across its abdomen, and the inside was anything but dried. The skin was entirely grey, looking like clay rather than normal human skin.

She calmly approached the corpse to see what it was holding, but it tried to hide it. It was glowing, whatever it was, but the holder refused to show it. She didn't want to do it, but she had no choice but to tackle the body and knock what it was holding out of its hands. So she charged at it, but she completely missed. The corpse stepped out of the way, but couldn't hide the object anymore.

It was the Jade Monkey statue.

But as Kim got up, she heard something approaching quickly from behind, as if they were running. Instantly turning around, she found that another corpse was active and was about to strike her with something, but she couldn't believe with what.

_Another_ Jade Monkey statue, but different from the other one. Were there actually two here, or was one a fake?

Realizing it had been caught, the corpse closest to her hesitated. Kim tried to sweep it off its feet and grab the statue, but it tossed it to the other living undead before taking the fall. With two Jade Monkeys in his grasp, the other corpse started to run.

"Wait! Stop!" the only true living being yelled.

It had nowhere to run, but that didn't stop Kim from pursuing it. It had less trouble getting through the thousands of bodies, although Kim lost her balance more than anything. However, the corpse finally tripped over an arm that was sticking out from below, but just when Kim felt hopeful, things turned even more sour.

Kim couldn't even get close to it before several more bodies rose and ran towards it. They all suffered mortal wounds and had no features as well. Many bodies even rose from under Kim, knocking her off her feet. Not a single one focused on her, but the one who had tripped. The holder of the statues didn't drop them or let them out of its grasp, but the others endlessly ran and jumped on it. It was like a dog pile that didn't know when to end. In seconds hundreds of corpses jumped onto the one who held the statues, and it wouldn't stop.

But then it did, and Kim groaned from frustration.

A massive ball of bodies protected the two Jade Monkey statues, and it somehow found its way to the ceiling. Many bodies couldn't hang on and fell back to the body-infested floor, and those that did approached Kim, hands ready for some strangling.

She was finally under attack. At first she tried to attack hand-to-hand with her repertoire of moves, throwing her attackers and delivering punches and kicks that knocked them off their feet. However, Kim's attacks had little to no effect on the bodies. They got up just as fast as they fell, showing no signs of injury. Then again, they were already dead. Kim continued to use her less lethal moves, but more bodies had fallen from the ball and were approaching. She resorted to some of her more brutal moves that she learned but never used, those that would instantly break limbs. By grabbing one of the bodies and trying to snap its leg, she found out there were no bones to snap at all.

Somehow, the corpse escaped her grasp and attacked, rushing towards Kim and tried to swipe its palm across her face. It connected, and Kim was almost knocked out instantly. It felt like someone threw a cement block at her head.

She wasn't sure what to do, and regretted not bringing a single weapon, but tried to flash her flashlight at them. Maybe the light would scare them off?

Nope. More and more were falling from the ball and were approaching. And as such, more rose from the floor and leapt onto it.

Refusing to turn out like her attackers, Kim tried to regain herself. Hoping not to resort to this, she tried to look for a weapon, and the only weapon she saw was the torch. Even though several corpses stood in the way, she charged through everything in her way to reach the torch. To her surprise, not all of them attacked physically. Some of them started to get fatter and fatter as she got near, actually exploding soon after she ran past them. Instead of blood and guts splattering everywhere, it was some kind of acid, which quickly burned some of the other corpses, all of which let out deafening screams.

It actually gave Kim the advantage as they all kept still, and she reached the torch. _'Why did I put it back?'_ she wondered. She didn't like the idea of burning even the undead, but she didn't know how else to incapacitate them.

"Sorry!"

And with that, she swung the torch around, setting anything in her path ablaze. Strangely, the corpses really didn't burn and scream for long. They instantly melted, but more and more chose not to engage her. Instead, they chose to do another acid explosion, a series of which would surely catch Kim. But she didn't give them a chance, striking them with the flame and melting them before they could try. Because of their many numbers, Kim struck several with each swipe, and the area was all clear within minutes. Still, more bodies fell from the ball to ambush her, including those that rose from the floor, but Kim was able to evade their attacks and melt them. Surprisingly, the flame refused to go out even with all her acrobatic evasion moves.

The fight got tedious, as Kim kept melting the bodies over and over, and they wouldn't stop falling from the ball. Eventually, the bodies stopped rising from the ground, but the ball refused to get any smaller. More kept falling, and she kept melting them over and over. She was growing exhausted, but refused to let it slow her down any.

Finally, after a half hour of fighting the undead, the huge body-filled ball let out a huge laser beam that shook the entire place as it fired. Just in time to react, Kim leapt out of its way, but it wound up roasting several of the clay corpses. They melted as well, but much more slowly. Another laser beam was fired, but in a different color, and in a completely different direction. One was glowing green, and the other orange.

The glowing colors matched those of the Jade Monkey statues. How did they emit deadly beams? That wasn't important. What was important was getting through these bodies and recovering the statues.

Things soon started to grow tough. Despite waving around the flame, the corpses weren't mindless, keeping their distance until they could find an opening. Kim was often ambushed from behind, from one or two, but refused to lose her footing. Distracted, many of the other corpses walked towards her, ready to explode and catch her in the acid-filled spread. But she managed to escape the hold on her, ran towards the one who was blowing up like a balloon, and threw it towards the other bodies. Only then did it explode, catching several of its brethren in the rain of acid. The acid explosions didn't spread far, so not only did it not affect Kim, but many still survived.

She had a lot to deal with. Just when she thought she escaped the explosion, her right elbow was less than an inch away from getting scorched by one of the lasers from the ball. But it was still close enough to catch fire. Panicking, she patted it frantically to put it out, only to get tackled by more bodies. Unlike before, she was instantly knocked on her back, and even before she hit the 'ground', several more bodies jumped on her. She fought to escape, but more and more rushed in to trap her, and it quickly got to the point where she couldn't move. She lost hold of the torch, and everything quickly went dark, but with a small opening, but she realized something through that small light.

She was right under the massive ball. And just as she expected, the entire thing came crashing down on her.

And things only got darker, as she got a sinking feeling. Realizing the bodies were trying to bury her alive, as the ball was merging with the floor of bodies, she desperately did whatever she could to move. But she couldn't. The weight was too much, the air was putrid, especially since she had to shut her mouth and suck in her lips unless she wanted to taste the head of one of the dead. Everything was getting dark, feeling more and more weight pound in on her.

Soon, the room appeared no different than the way Kim had entered.

There was no escape. She was buried alive.

She couldn't see a thing, she couldn't move, and she was feeling faintish. Finally opening her mouth, she tried to breathe whatever air she could, but there was nothing to breathe in. She was trapped, and she couldn't get out. She felt weaker by the second, but she refused to give up. Her muscles and nerves tried so much to do something, but it was all in vain. She couldn't fight it for much longer, and she could feel her life energy being drained by the second.

Then it hit her…

This was the end…

She failed, and this time it was going to cost her the second most important thing in her life: her own.

"Ro… Ron…" she tried to make out, "I'm… sorry…"

All went silent.

* * *

Just as everything went black, when she stopped breathing, and when she felt her heart stop, everything suddenly went white. It felt extremely cold, so cold that her jaw was trembling on its own, but Kim felt nothing more than that.

"_Unbelievable…"_ she heard, _"I didn't think you were the kind to give up so easily."_

Finally seeing something other than bright light, Kim saw some kind of form, but it didn't resemble a human or any kind of living animal. It was an entity of some sort, but in some kind of abstract form. But as it approached, it released a kind of soothing heat that warmed Kim's blood, but she was too familiar with the feeling. She only felt this way when she held someone tightly in her arms…

"Ron? It can't be…"

"_Kim…"_ his voice continued, ignoring what she just said, _"Is this it? Is this going to be the way you depart from this world?"_

It wasn't something he'd normally say, at least in the way he spoke, but Kim still accepted it. Compared to his possessed rough and dirty voice, it was music to her ears.

"Ron… I'm sorry… I couldn't do it…"

"_You're wrong…"_ his voice said, _"No matter what situation you've come across, you've always been able to handle it. What happened to you?"_

"I don't know…" a near-weeping voice answered, "Everything was just going so right, but once you left, everything just went downhill and wouldn't stop. Everything changed…"

"_Kim…"_ his voice replied passively, _"it was a kiss that changed everything, but we didn't let that stop us from fighting to save the world."_

"Was it really the right thing to do?" she replied with a sigh, "Would it have been better if we stopped just to live out ordinary lives?"

"_Saving other people and the world was something you decided for yourself, Kim. This is the path you've chosen in life. You've pursued it and there's no turning back now. You have to finish what you've started. You know what has to be done… You have to fight me…"_

"Ron… I don't know… can I really do it, or will I die trying?"

"_I can't answer that for you. Only you can decide whether you succeed or fail. Either way, you're right."_

"I don't know if I can do this anymore… I can't live without you, Ron… I don't want to lose you again… I can't even bear the thought of losing you on a mission…"

"_Kim, this is just one of the many obstacles you're going to face on this journey, but whether or not I grow old with you, whether or not I'm fighting beside you, or even enjoying life's simple pleasures next to you, you've chosen a life that will be full of hardships until life's end. But until then, I want to you to know that I will always be there for you, in your heart and spirit. And no matter what, I will always love you. I always have…"_

"Ron…" She hadn't heard him talk like this ever, but those words…

"_It's not over yet. Whether or not you choose to give up, that's your choice. But it's not the only one. It all doesn't end here. Not now."_

"How…?"

"_Wake up."_

_

* * *

_

And in less than a second, Kim found herself laying down on a stone floor, coughing for air. She could see thousands of bodies stacked as far as she could see, but three things sat next to her. The two Jade Monkey statues and the torch, in which its flame finally died out. Judging by all the gray liquid next to her, she speculated that it still melted their bodies. It was anything but a pleasant sight.

Was it fate, or was she lucky? She didn't know, but she couldn't think. Not because of the dream she just had, but just breathing the air of the dead made her feel weak. She was anything but revitalized, and felt like she was going to pass out soon again. So with the strength left in her, she reached out for the two statues.

Both were authentic.

But she had no way out, and was too weak to climb. She got what she wanted, but at what cost?

Just then, the ground started to shake, and the rest of the bodies were sinking, slowly. Kim struggled to get to her knees, but something was preventing her from getting up. She then realized the bodies weren't sinking. Instead, she was rising, and she was ascending faster and faster. It was an elevator of sorts, and as she was approaching the top of the chamber, which was farther away than she thought, a hole opened up, allowing safe passage through the pyramid.

Her entire body went cold as she went back up, and she could see less and less, until only dim glows of the Jade statues filled her vision. She was able to get on one knee, and fought to get on the next. She had success in doing so, and then tried to stand upward.

The elevator had come to a stop right next to the door where she entered, and she managed to stand up and walk. As she approached the door, it slid open, catching the attention of the two outside, and bringing in the fierce cold winds they had to endure.

Yori appeared more than pleased to see what Kim had. "Possible-san? You retrieved _two_ Jade Monkey statues?"

But Kim didn't answer her. She just stood with eyes wide open, and those didn't move, either.

Val on the other hand quickly noticed that Kim's clothes were torn, that her hair was all over the place, and she had bruises on her neck and arms, not to mention the stench from her mouth. "What happened in there?"

Again, she didn't respond, but she was leaning forward, a lot. Realizing she wasn't conscious, Yori snagged the Jade statues as Kim fell forward, but Val prevented her from falling on her face, or rather, down the pyramid.

She was out cold, more so than the weather.

Val put an arm around the back of Kim's knees and picked her up, supporting her back. His attention quickly went to her injuries.

Yori appeared to be worried, looking as well. "Is she going to be alright, Ryan-kun?"

He took another moment to analyze her cuts and bruises. "It's nothing life-threatening, but it's going to take some time for some of these to heal…" he took a closer look at one of her bruises, almost red in color, "Some of these should have fractured a bone or two… looks like someone's had a healthy bit of calcium every day… If not for that, well, you already know…"

"Thank goodness she recovered two of the statues," Yori said with a relieved sigh. "That leaves her with only one left to recover."

Val didn't seem to share her sentiments. "I don't know what Kim saw in there, but it's only going to get worse. She's breathing no different from someone who nearly suffocated to death. And even if she retrieves the next one, it's far from over."

"Stoppable-san…" Yori realized, then noticed something, "Why are you staring at her eyes?"

"See for yourself."

He turned Kim toward Yori's way, and she did see it, "Even closed, they're filled with fear…"

Finally, Kim let out a weak moan, and one word came out of her mouth: "Ron…" But that was all.

Val and Yori looked at each other briefly. He didn't look optimistic, not that he ever did, and Yori looked concerned. They were both uncertain if Kim had what it took to fight a possessed Ron, deadly and merciless. But Val didn't take any time to think on it, quickly making his way down the pyramid, carrying Kim in his arms.

"Come on. We'd better find a safe place to rest. She's going to freeze out here if we don't."

Yori merely acknowledged with a nod, quickly following while holding the statues firmly, as the winds threatened to blow them out from her grasp.

By the time they reached the bottom, Yori turned around to face the pyramid.

Val noticed. "What is it?"

She didn't answer him, putting down the statues. The pyramid disappeared as expected, but when Yori touched both the statues, it didn't reappear. She picked them up again and headed toward the jeep. It was gone, and no sand was blowing against something that was invisible to the human eye.

"Whatever Possible-san saw inside that pyramid, it is no longer of this world. Please, let's hurry."

He nodded, and took the wheel. He placed Kim on shotgun so that if anything happened to her from behind, Yori could see it. The winds were blowing just as people would expect from December, and Val had to get out of the jeep to wipe the frosted windows. While he was doing that, Yori found a blanket in Kim's bag and wrapped her in it completely. She was noticeably trembling less by the time Val started the ignition again.

"You don't want to drive?" he offered.

"No. You chose to, therefore it is your honor. I can't take that away from you."

He narrowed his eyes as he turned away from her. "Honor means nothing in the world I live in…" he said quietly.

"Did you say something?" she asked.

"No… nothing…"

They drove off into the night, one that had waves of light filling the skies.

Perhaps it was a good omen…

… or perhaps not.


	18. 17: Final Excavation

Again, sorry for the delay. Writer's block and life being busy. And sorry for another slow chapter, but this marks the end of this act, finally, and things should really heat up. I'll warn you again, though, that there might be some slightly disturbing things in here, including a couple of explanations from the last chapter, though nothing compared to it. Really. I hope. Sorry if it really disturbed any of you, though. That's what happens when you intend to write a dark chapter and listen to creepy ambient music at the same time. We won't be seeing anything like that anymore after the references in this one.

I've been trying to be accurate in time zone differences, along with information concerning Kowloon, Tanzania and our next location, sans the shrines, obviously. If something's wrong concerning those, let me know.

**Chapter 17: Final Excavation**

**

* * *

**

Dawn. The weather was calm and cool; the best thing to wake up to after a good night's sleep. While Kim was taken to a safe hotel by her comrades, with no sign of any 'Wanted' posters, she had anything but. Overnight, Val wandered around the area to stock up on food and drinks, leaving Yori to watch over Kim.

It had been over an hour, and a lot of thoughts ran through the ninja's mind simply by watching Ron's lifelong friend. The color of her face, the split ends of her hair, the shade and shape of her lips, and most noticeably, her moaning and twitching, and she was doing a lot of it.

Kim had walked out of that pyramid holding two more Jade Monkey statues, but looked like she had been eaten and spit out. At first, Yori didn't notice anything because it was night, and the entrance wasn't really that well-lit by the moon. But after getting Kim inside the hotel room, the damage was much more apparent. Other than her hair being a complete mess, her clothes were torn in a few areas with some severe-looking bruises on her arms, abs and legs, she had a huge gash on her forehead, and her face was extremely pale, most likely from almost suffocating.

But whatever Kim had seen was haunting her mind in her sleep. She was twisting and turning a lot, twitching every couple of seconds, and Yori couldn't help but wonder what Kim had seen and experienced in there. She came out of the first temple feeling a little scared, but mostly confused. It didn't seem like much trouble, that or Kim handled it pretty well. This time, though, she looked almost traumatized. And really, what Kim had seen and experienced in the temple would have traumatized anybody.

It was hard to say whether or not sleep was the best way to get over it.

By the time Kim finally woke up, sweating all over her face, the two ninjas were actually asleep. Yori took the bed closest to the window, and Val was sleeping on a chair with his blade at hand. Not wishing to wake them up, Kim attempted to get out of bed, only to find her foot in solid ice. Nearly freaking out from the cold, she realized it was a small cooler with several drinks in it, ranging from water, apple juice, to sodas and so-called energy drinks. She quietly took out a bottle of water and sucked it down, but it was still enough to wake the other two. But they noticed she looked just as bad as she did last night, and suggested she take a shower to get her mind off of things.

A cold shower in this heat really helped.

After that, Kim took some time out to relax more, trying to make sense of everything. Out of curiosity, and hoping it would help Kim get it off her mind, Yori asked her what she had seen the previous night. Better to vent it all out. So, Kim explained everything, from the skeletal ape demon, the millions of skulls on the shelves, the organic hallway, and the chamber filled with nude corpses. She explained it all with a disgusted voice, and even though she survived, both mentally and physically, it was surely something she never wanted to experience again in her life.

Yet, she spoke of it only as if it were just a nightmare. Fiction. Illusion. Yes, she knew that it really happened, she knew it was all real, but she took into consideration that everything she experienced was created all through corrupted mystical powers. And as Yori told her, once they stepped foot away from the pyramid with the two Jade statues, it was no longer there, or of this world. It was over, and there was no need to dwell on it.

Speaking of which, none of them could figure out why the pyramid housed two of them, but with all Kim had seen and gone through, one alone wouldn't have been worth the trouble.

But Kim felt puzzled about what she had seen, and wondered if it pertained to anything in real life. Even though the MMP was corrupted, were these places made entirely of nightmares and fears, or actual events? She tried to contact Wade, who opened up a three-way communication link between Monique and Nev Killbourne, and Kim explained the details from there. Monique was freaked out and told Kim to take several showers before this was all over. Even though Wade looked through all kinds of historical and current records for anything relating to this, nothing of the sort was recorded.

"_You won't find that kind of information digitally, Wade…"_ Nev told him. He knew, or had an idea at least, of what Kim had just gone through.

And the reason was because he had a massive library of books pertaining to the natural wonders of the world, most with documents that were banned centuries ago, the dates of the books themselves, things that should have been erased from human history. At least, that's what the books claimed. Some attempted to cover the secrets of ancient technology, but the details were minimal. Such things like the twelve relics Val collected weren't included. He had to dig through many books to find what he was looking for, and once he found it, Nev warned her not all of it, if any of it, was proven truth. He also warned her about what she was about to hear.

"_It says that in the mid-fourteenth century, 1349 to be exact, there had been a huge drop in the human population."_

"Hold on…" Kim interrupted. "Mid-fourteenth century and a huge population drop… wasn't that during the Black Death pandemic?"

"_Correct. But according to this book, or what I can translate out of it, there were several deaths that weren't related to the plague. Instead, someone by the name of Luthios Marnrin had started a cult in Romania, with the purpose to create some kind of new God to judge the world. He claimed the only way to create such a being called for endless sacrifices, for their deceased bodies would help create it. And in the end, It says that over five million people were killed and sacrificed to create this 'God' as he put it. Well, things went as planned, and not. The sacrifices came back to life, and their bodies formed the eggshell of the new ruler of the world. However, they lost all of their distinguishable features and internal organs, probably used to create the body of this demon. The ritual took place in a deep palace underground that belonged to Marnrin, inaccessible to any civilized population from fear of the plague, which now looked like the inside of a human heart as a result from all the bloodshed. Without brains, the sacrifices killed anything that moved, and since he was the only one alive down there, the corpses killed him, putting an end to the records he kept on his experiment, which took on a series of names: Granfalloon, Nuculais, and… well, what do you know: Legion."_

"Har…" Val sarcastically groaned as all eyes went to him.

"_Anyway,"_ Nev continued, _"It doesn't say whether or not the actual demon, Nuculais, was actually born, only concluding that it too was a victim of the bubonic plague, which was also used as a cover up for the legion of missing people presumed dead. But that's not all, Kim."_

"Really?" she asked with a grossed out look, "Do I even _want_ to ask?"

"_No more sick details, trust me, that's done,"_ he assured her. _"But it's strange. It said it first occurred in 1349, yet, it says that people have witnessed this thing in action and slain it, in the years 1479, 1748, 1797 and… what the heck?"_

"What?"

Nev nearly laughed at himself. _"Well, here's a new one on me. 1479, 1748, 1797, and… get this, 2035."_

Kim was reasonably confused. "Uh, what? We're just a couple of weeks away from 2007, and that's almost thirty years from now! Are you sure that's not a typo or a mistranslation?"

"_Like I said, Kim, this isn't solid, bonafide, confirmed truth. But everything you described just sounded way too similar. Illusion or reality, I figured you could use some answers."_

"Either way, it's still really twisted. You know, fighting zombies in a video game with Ron and getting my butt kicked is one thing, but fighting them while standing on hundreds of dead bodies in real life? Now that I have some idea what it was about, I don't even want to think about it ever again. It just felt like a nightmare I couldn't wake up from."

"_I don't know _why_ you saw something like that,"_ he replied, _"but I'm just glad you're okay, having experienced all that. It's scary when you read something like it, but hearing you say it, it's like being there. You're sure you're okay, in the head I mean? Things like that would put Jen in the mental asylum."_ A loud thwack could be heard on his end. _"Ow! What was that for?"_

"_No it wouldn't!"_ Jen cried. _"I'm an expert at shooting zombies! Why do you think all the high score screens of all four House of the Dead games have nothing but the initials 'JAF' on them at the arcade? Heck, I even have my name all over the high scores of _Typing_ of the Dead!"_

Nev buried his head in his keyboard. _"Jen, this is real life. Sacrificed undead compared to biological experiments. In case you haven't heard, Kim couldn't hurt them unless she melted them…"_

"_I was only kidding!"_

"_Figures… Where exactly did you come from anyway?"_

"_Well, I WAS going to surprise you with a midnight snack I cooked just for you, but what do I find? I find you talking bad about me behind my back… How low can you go, Nev? How could you?"_ There was something dreadfully playful about her tone.

"_But I wasn't… I mean…"_ He gave up with a loud sigh. _"And then people wonder why I'm afraid to wake up in the morning…"_

Suddenly, muffled sounds could be heard on his end.

"_Eat up, sweetie!"_ Jen cried excitedly, shoving something into his mouth. _"Nothing better than homemade chocolate chip cookies at twelve in the morning!" _Her attention went elsewhere._ "Hi everyone!"_

"Hi," the three in Egypt said at once, all with different tones.

"_Actually, contrary to what Nev said,"_ Jen went on, _"I did hear everything. Wow, so you really took on the legion of the undead, and you're not all traumatized? I'm even more impressed than I was before, Kim. Nev's right, I probably would have been put in a mental asylum having heard what you said. Wow. Just… and you're actually willing to find that last statue right now?"_

"That's right, Jen," Kim quickly answered. "You know… it was just something made out of corrupted mystical powers. I mean, it felt real, but at the same time, it didn't. But… even if there is some truth in what Nev just told me, it still felt more like a nightmare than reality. And believe me, I've had some worse nightmares before…"

Such as an apocalyptic future where she and Ron, husband and wife, became enemies, merely because of a difference of beliefs for a new world, and she lost herself completely to the point where she killed him to end an ongoing war. Sometimes it haunted a part of her, because it wasn't the only time she had that dream.

She continued, "And I sure won't be complaining about brain surgery with mom anytime soon… Okay, I can't promise that… But the point is, I've been in TV Land before with Ron, Rufus, Drakken and Shego, and it kind of reminded me of that. There wasn't any blood at all, and even the smallest drop probably would've changed everything… But whatever it really was, it's over. I have other, bigger things to worry about, things that might wind up killing me, and I'm way more focused on that. I won't be surprised if I encounter something like that in the next temple. And if I don't, then it's the past. Done. Gone. Kaput. Glad it's done, time to move on. Wade, figure anything out yet?"

No response.

Kim grew a bit concerned. "Wade?"

"_Huh, what…?"_ he asked, yawning. _"Sorry, I guess I dozed off, and it's only a little past three here. I didn't sleep well last night, either. Some guys were street racing near here."_

"Ouch, sorry to hear that," Kim replied.

"_But the last temple? Give me a moment to see if I can track anything unusual."_

_

* * *

_

The sounds of grunts and loud thuds could be heard in the hallways. The cracks of bone and wooden boards echoed everywhere in the abandoned lair. Some angered yells, and the sound of fighting bags and boards being ripped apart. She only took breaks to eat, doing nothing else but train and practice. She had been doing this incessantly for the past few days, waiting for the moment to arrive.

When it was all over, the lone figure in the room cracked her knuckles, popped her neck and stretched out. She was prepared to fight. Ending the training for now, she walked out into the hallway and into a room with a laptop computer in it. She typed in a few passwords, gaining access to what appeared to be a wire frame model of the world. Somewhere in Egypt, there was a small dot that was flashing slowly.

"Just what are you up to…?"

Zooming in, the small dot was inside an airport, getting inside a plane with two others. Realizing this was a flight out, she typed in several things, receiving information on where the plane was headed.

"First there's China, then Japan, then Tanzania, then Egypt… so why are you headed back to China…?" _(Kowloon isn't really considered part of the Chinese mainland, really.)_

Perplexed, she pulled out a cell phone and hit only two digits.

"_I demand to know who this is!"_ the person on the other line immediately yelled upon answering.

"Possible and Ryan are on a plane headed towards China from Egypt."

"_Tell me who you are and how you know this!"_

"Hah. As if."

She closed the phone afterward, staring into the wire frame green screen, with eyes and skin of the same color.

* * *

"_Kim, I've got it!"_

"Where?"

"_Guilin, China."_

"Spankin', Wade! What are we waiting for? Let's go!"

After receiving the information on the final Jade Monkey statue, Kim and the others were immediately out of the country and on a plane headed towards the Chinese mainland. Their final destination was in Guilin, China. Guilin was one of the few places in the world where maintaining and protecting the cultural heritage and scenery was a top priority. Kim had come here only once before, when a rainstorm flooded a village and the people needed some help. As always, they could rely on her, but that was over three years ago, back when Kim was still a junior at Middleton High.

While the area was a natural tourist attraction and was well populated, the city at night looking more colorful and vibrant than Las Vegas, Wade's signal would lead them toward the luscious mountains and jungles, the reason why Guilin was one of China's most popular scenic areas. This time, however, the final location didn't involve a geographic shift like the other two places. Nothing was different from satellite pictures, but the same satellites picked up a strange energy source coming from somewhere deep in the mountains, similar to the Jade statues and Tempus Simia. It was worth an investigation.

Because of time differences and the flight, it was already nearing sunset by the time they arrived. But to get to their destination from the city, they had to go through the Li River. Instead of taking a cruise, they decided to take a bamboo raft, and Val took the role as the ferryman without saying a word to the girls.

They had traveled with the current for a few miles, all experiencing different things. Kim kept a lookout for anything, even though she didn't know exactly what she was looking for. Wade's coordinates were quite vague, and without her Kimmunicator (although she had it, but didn't wish to risk its signal being tracked), she didn't know what leads to go on other than the said location.

Yori didn't keep a lookout like Kim did, unfamiliar with the place as well as most of the world, being absorbed in its beauty. Other than going to America a few times, the first couple of times involving Ron, and the next involving the Bay City Crisis, she just hadn't traveled a lot. Most of her training kept her housed on Mount Yamanuchi, and prior to that she lived in Tokyo, anyway. Just like the last time she teamed up with Kim, the mission took her to all kinds of places worldwide. But even then, she wasn't able to appreciate the scenery. She had to bring Ron to Japan in a snap, she was too concerned for Sensei's sake to admire the Amazon rainforest, and the plane she was on near Mount Everest was shot down, not to mention she had her leg dislocated for a while. She wasn't in immediate danger here, and didn't play the role of the navigator, allowing her to finally admire the beauty of Guilin. She was completely overwhelmed. Something about this place felt so peaceful, so pure, much more than Yamanuchi itself.

Pictures in magazines and the internet just don't do it justice. And the fact it was sunset? Beautiful. It wasn't hot or cold, just mild weather with a relaxing breeze moving the water, with beams of light reflecting off every wave. And despite trying to keep a low profile, Yori couldn't help but wave at the fishermen who were also on bamboo rafts.

Val on the other hand was unusually quiet. He had been like this on the plane too, instead of sleeping or checking his weapons to keep himself busy. He seemed to have his attention the same as Yori, observing the forests surrounding the river, and the sunset that colored it, along with the skies and mountains. If the girls had been looking, they would have noticed that the expression in his eyes were both bitter yet mellow. Well, both Kim and Yori had actually noticed, but because he appeared to be overly deep in thought on the plane ride, it was best not to interrupt those thoughts. Breaking someone's concentration, especially with someone serious as Val, might not have been the best idea.

Later on, seeing a narrow dirt path on the side of the river, Kim's head suddenly shot in that direction. "Val, over there!"

He said nothing and didn't appear to acknowledge, but he stopped the boat right where Kim pointed. She was eager to grab her bag and head down the trail, but didn't explain why.

"Possible-san?" Yori asked curiously, "You are certain this is it?"

"It's strange…" she quickly replied, "it was like back in Kowloon where I felt Ron's presence, something I never felt before. But I'm having a similar feeling now. It's not him, but something else…"

"The corrupted powers, perhaps?"

"Maybe…" Kim quietly answered, uncertain of it. Maybe that's what she sensed before, although this feeling was absent with the three Jade Monkey statues, the Tempus Simia, and the Lotus Blade.

"Well, let's be on our way then," Yori said with a smile.

Kim nodded, agreeing, but turned her attention to Val before moving on. "Hey Val, you coming or what?"

"Yeah…" he quietly replied.

This sudden behavior didn't make the other two feel comfortable one bit, but it didn't stop them any. Kim quickly continued on, as she'd rather prefer to navigate through a forest when there's still sunlight around.

She had led the way for about a half hour, leading the rest into the mountains that Guilin was famous for, but it wasn't smooth sailing throughout the trip. Several dangerous obstacles stood in the way. They navigated through small rivers similar to the ones in Tanzania, had to climb up and down steep paths filled with rocks, and even had to walk on rocks shaped by erosion, with one false move sending them plummeting to the depths below.

It wasn't long before Kim felt she was close, but she led the other two towards the end of a plateau, and they had to slide their way down or go down slowly. It was similar to the one back in Tanzania, but before moving on, Kim stopped Val, with her attention on his equipment.

"What's wrong?" he asked, the first thing he said in hours.

Suddenly, without warning, Kim put her hand inside his jacket, and grabbed a small metal device shaped like a jack. "I'm really sorry about snagging this from you… but trust me on this." After that, she shoved it into the ground, trying to bury it as much as she could as fast as she could. "Perfect. That should do it."

He seemed somewhat perplexed. "Expecting some action?"

"Gut feeling."

At first it looked like he wasn't buying it, but then he smiled. "Good enough for me."

Yori couldn't help but think Kim had a good reason for this. "How close do you think we are, Possible-san?"

Kim pulled out a pair of binoculars from her backpack, zooming in as much as she could, finding a small cave further ahead. It was buried beneath another plateau; no wonder Wade couldn't pick up a visual on a satellite. But it didn't look like a cave. The entryway was made with stone and bricks, almost sculpted with a middle-age appearance. Details weren't that great even with the binoculars, as the entrance was covered in vines and leaves.

"There it is," Kim confirmed.

After that, they all made their way towards their destination, and it took them longer than expected to reach it. It was already starting to get dark. After getting all the vines out of the way, Kim could see that many lights ranging from neon blue to purple lit the entrance, unapparent until now. Yori and Val didn't even need to ask if they were sure this was it. However, just as Kim was about to step inside, Val stopped her.

"Here," he said with Kim's utility belt in hand, "You should probably take this, and this…"

He presented Kim with a lethal-looking sword that looked more like a huge survival knife than anything else. It wasn't made for anything else but killing.

He quickly explained his reasons, "I'm quite certain these shrines have already done enough to test your mind and skills, especially with the pyramid back in Egypt. Seeing as you came out of that in one piece and haven't been traumatized by it… Well, you may actually need your equipment this time."

In other words, there was no need, in his mind, for Kim to go in there without any equipment as before. Like Eiji had told them, the shrines would test one physically and mentally, although it didn't seem to go the way everyone expected. It wasn't really to complete or succeed at the obstacles thrown at Kim, but rather to survive them. Some would argue that with what Kim experienced in the pyramid, death was a far more lenient fate than to live the rest of your life with such memories. Some would also argue that being a girl, Kim wouldn't have had the mental capability to handle it.

The truth was, these were the thoughts that ran through the mind of one Valia Ryan. When he first heard about the legendary Kim Possible, expectations were so high they could not be surpassed. The girl had everything. She may have been pretty, smart, tough, and grew up in a wealthy home, and possessed the genes of a brain surgeon and a rocket scientist. She was a cheerleader in high school, and even though she was popular, "well-known" was probably a more suitable term, hanging out with her lifelong best friend as opposed to the usual groups and cliques. She did a lot of community service and extracurricular activities, was on the honor roll throughout her high school career, and all the while had a good outlook on life, being a role model to just about everyone around her, and always willing to help those no matter how small or large the favors were. A picture couldn't have been painted more perfect.

Now that the words entered his mind, no wonder cousin Bonnie hated her. Just the thought that Kim had it all, and life still favored her so well, he was starting to hate her, too. But he quickly brushed those thoughts away as he held the sword and belt to the girl in front of him.

And all the while, living this so-called perfect life, she went out to save the world and was still able to maintain near-high school perfection. But this is where he came to know her. Kim saved the world with her best friend, his pet naked mole rat, and a computer geek super genius. And saving the world was as Kim put it, "No Big." There were all kinds of colorful bad guys and plots, and Kim had the equipment necessary, most shaped like everyday fashion and makeup objects, to thwart evil plans. Even though she often relied on equipment, she was excellent without it, properly utilizing her aerobic skills (Val refuses to call them "cheerleading" skills), and well-versed in several styles of martial arts and hand-to-hand combat. And yet, she made nothing out of it. She was more concerned with high school than saving the world, and she even made that look like it was nothing at all. It was all too easy, and the way she handled everything still made her a role model.

In this, he wanted to fight her, seeking out a worthy opponent, and his timing led him to fight her after she had gotten into her relationship with Ron. He hoped she would be the perfect opponent, but he found himself disappointed that Kim in fact, wasn't perfect. She was a regular human being, a regular girl who just wanted to get through high school. And considering that Kim had declared Ron Stoppable as her official boyfriend, her feelings for him had amplified, which severely affected her in combat situations where Ron's life would be put at risk, and vice versa.

But after that conflict, Valia would only continue to grow more and more disappointed in Kim through their run-ins and duels. Many still declared her as a legend, more so that she was the only person known today to actually defeat Ryan in combat, not once but twice. But to him, she lacked something. She still had the mentality of a regular teenage girl who wanted to live a normal life. She had a boyfriend, went to college, had a family, and often concerned herself with the little things in life like fashion, gossip, and TV shows to keep herself current. She was just as human as everyone else, but in that, she was far from perfect. She was prone to making mistakes and bad decisions, could be clumsy and easily embarrassed, and before the relationship, she could fall head over heels for a guy in an instant, and forget about him the next. Her tastes in several things fit that category as well. Both of these were apparent in everyday life and on missions, not just one or the other. Kim didn't really separate her social life and hero work from each other, and many would argue this was one of the reasons why she was so successful. But she didn't have the hardcore training and discipline most hardcore types like mercenaries and assassins had.

There was nothing wrong with any of that, but only if you lived a regular life, he thought. Kim was too regular, not someone qualified to truly save the world. She still had her problems, and she didn't really dedicate her time to discipline herself to become the perfect warrior, and Val had a hard time accepting this. While he was practicing styles and developing new moves in combat in the middle of the forest, she was at Club Banana looking for a new outfit, or something new for Ron to wear. He was in Tokyo jumping from car to car fighting the Yakuza, destroying each vehicle with his blade upon landing on them, and Kim was arguing with Ron about the upcoming season of Agony County in their apartment, since Charity and Danny finally got together, officially ending the series as the writers intended it. But because the show was a hit, they brought it back, backfiring on the creators. Ron was actually thrilled about his "favorite show to watch with my girlfriend", and while Kim felt somewhat the same, she was skeptical. Val would be fighting against members of a cult in an alley to prevent them from doing inhuman actions to a six-year old girl, and Kim would have just helped a little girl get her cat out of a tree… then attending to the scratches all over Ron's face from his failed attempt.

To Val, she was much better off living her normal life as opposed to trying to save the world, because her insecurities and inner problems would most likely destroy her in the long run. It was something he tried to prove in the past, but either he failed or couldn't get through to Kim, the latter in his mind. So it didn't surprise him one bit that Kim had fallen apart and lost herself when Ron left. She became depressed, worried and heartbroken like any other person would, and it affected her in every single thing she did. And as he predicted, it nearly got her killed endless times on missions, too.

Truthfully, he was uncertain if Kim really had what it took to surpass the challenges of the shrines. Those who knew him heard he was one of Kim's fiercest opponents, able to do everything she could, but more, and better. People saw that his skills were on the brink of human boundaries, which was the only reason he was qualified to truly be a thorn in Kim's side. And when he beat her, people always attributed it to his skills and skills alone. Not him. Instead, it was all in the mind. He didn't think any of his victories over Kim had anything to do with him, but rather her.

He always thought that deep inside Kim was weak in some way, but now he realized he was wrong. Even though he thought the challenges in the shrines would be what nightmares were made of, everything Kim described the last time was completely unexpected even to him. The corpses, the ape skeleton, that organic tunnel, and how Kim looked when she came out. Yet, she told everyone it was over, brushing everything she had seen away and was eager to move on.

He had a hard time telling himself he would have reacted the same way. This wasn't the only reason he was silent, however, feeling a hint of admiration for how determined Kim really was in all this. He just wondered if there was any truth to the theory and story Nev gave them. He wouldn't be surprised if anything like that was still going on today.

He just couldn't look into her beautiful green eyes the same way as he did before. Her skills were no longer overrated. Her imperfections wouldn't continue to interfere with hero work. She wasn't a weak little girl anymore. She was Kim Possible, the Kim Possible he had heard so much about, and she was what everyone said she was. There was no need for any further mental or spiritual testing.

"You might need this weapon as well…" he continued, offering the sword to her, "If you see anything like you did the last time, you might need it this time around."

Kim couldn't help but observe the details of the sword. While she wasn't up for the idea of hacking and slashing, he might have been right. Still, better to have a sword when you need one, and if the situation didn't call for it, she didn't have to use it, anyway. She took a firm grip on the blade, surprised by how light it was.

"Familiar with a blade?" its owner asked.

Kim continued to observe the details. "Yeah. Can't say I've used one in combat before; I usually use these for getting through jungles and rainforests. Could come in handy."

After swinging it around single-handedly and getting a feel for it, she found a slot for the sword to go in on her utility belt after she strapped it on. She was packed with her usual equipment and was ready to go.

"This won't be long… I hope," she said as she was about to head in.

"Good luck, Possible-san," Yori wished her.

Val smirked at her. "Just get that statue already so we can end this."

Kim nodded and walked in. The entrance was soon blocked by the roots of the tree above, along with more vines. You could hear them harden, so much they became impenetrable.

Val crossed his arms as the entrance sealed itself, suddenly to find Yori giving him a suspicious smirk.

"Why are you giving me that look?" he asked. He clearly wasn't liking it.

Yori walked in a circle around him, observing his posture. "I noticed the way you were looking at her, Ryan-kun…"

"And what about it?" he quickly snapped back.

"I know how girls look at boys… or in this case, how boys look at girls…" she said with a playful smile, "You… _like_ her, don't you?"

He merely rolled his eyes with a quick response. "And what interest would I have in a woman whose heart lies elsewhere? You're delusional… I have no interest in her social life, anyway."

Yori continued to walk in circles around him, still looking for a hole in his defense. "Is that so…? Oh, Ryan-kun… I never thought you were the kind to deny your feelings."

"I'm not. She went straight to hell and came right back out of it, in one piece and mentally unscathed, and if not then she's doing a damn good job of hiding it."

He wasn't far from the truth at all.

"And for what?" he continued. "The one she loves. A lesser human being would have given up or be traumatized with the screams of millions of faceless sacrifices. You must have seen it as well. She has no regrets going through everything she has so far, if it all means to save Ron. It's written all over her face."

"Is that why you've come this far with her? Even if it is respect and admiration, is it more? I don't see you as the kind to go out of your way just to help someone, especially when it comes to two people who love each other. You don't come off as the honorable kind…"

"No, you're right about that. But I've fallen in love before, Yori. I know what it feels like, and this is not it. Far from it, actually."

"Is that why your eyes are as blue as the skies?"

He didn't seem to be aware of it. "It's because I've seen something… Something I've seen before… but I can't remember when."

"What?"

"If I knew, I'd tell you…"

Meanwhile, not too far behind them, the grass was moving. It was moving in the direction towards the cave, on the same trail that Kim and the other two were on earlier. It was slow, yet silent. You could only see it if you were looking for it, especially that it was now nighttime.

The movement came to a stop when it reached the end of the plateau. Five boys dressed in camouflage emerged from the ground, two armed with machineguns, two armed with assault rifles, and one with a shotgun. After securing the end of the plateau, one of them made a hand signal, telling someone behind him it was okay.

A blonde-haired male soon emerged walked out of the darkness, carrying a rather large guitar case in his left hand. At the edge of the plateau, he set it down, and one of the others pulled out a pair of binoculars for him.

"Are you sure this is the place, Commander?"

"Wherever these anonymous tips are coming from, they've been accurate every time…"

After that, he activated the built-in night vision, finding two people arguing with each other outside some kind of concealed cave. One was constantly rolling his eyes, and the other found herself amused at his behavior, something she hadn't seen in him before.

The commander seemed amused as well. "And again, whoever she is, she's right…"

"So… do we ambush them with a sniper raid, or-"

Putting the night vision binoculars away, he opened up the guitar case.

"No, we use the weapon."

Inside was a missile launcher. More specifically, it was a shoulder-mounted homing missile launcher. Next to it was only one missile. He took no longer than a few seconds to put it all together and aim, with a sinister glare in his eyes and a smile that matched.

"Kim Possible will regret the day she said no to Sean Hanteren… and Legion will regret the day he crossed me and humiliated me…"

"And what of the ninja girl?" one of the Fingers asked, one named Ren.

"Too pure and innocent for my tastes… she's worthless to me. She'll be killed in the blast as well, and Kim will be buried alive, hopefully long enough to regret…"

By this time the others stopped paying attention, letting Sean rant about how great he thought he was. While the Fingers were loyal, they were all having second thoughts, considering why they were involved in this in the first place.

"… They won't even know what hit'em…" Sean finally finished.

A homing missile, two teenagers trained in the arts of the ninja, both with exceptional reflexes and hearing. But Sean didn't come here trying to pull of the same thing as he did last time, and he wasn't stupid enough to use a standard missile launcher that could be heard from a mile away, which was the estimated distance from his targets.

This was a modified stinger missile launcher, a prototype version he was just dying to test. The reason? It was silent. The sound was suppressed. You couldn't hear the missile fire, and you couldn't hear the rocket fly in the air. Both the launcher and the missile itself were modified for this.

And if things were going to go right, neither Val nor Yori would hear it, and by the time they could sense it coming, it'd be too late.

And without hesitation, Sean locked onto Val's left eye and fired. He wasn't even sure if it had fired because of the lack of noise. Eager to see the results, he immediately tossed the launcher aside and put the binoculars back on, just dying to see their faces react before the moment of death.

"Commander?"

But they just kept arguing.

"Uh, commander?"

They didn't really seem to notice, or didn't know the definition of fear.

"Commander Sean!"

It was that yell that gave it away. Sean made eye contact with both Yori and Val through the binoculars, but both… didn't seem to care.

"WHAT?" Sean yelled, angry that his cover was blown.

"IT'S COMING BACK!" Ren screamed.

Throwing the binoculars aside, Sean realized Ren was right. Outside the binoculars' view, the missile had curved to the right in a counterclockwise motion, and… well, turned around. It was coming right back at them. Sean let out a high-pitched scream upon seeing this, and the others were already far away when he struggled to get onto his feet.

"Run away! Run away!" Sven yelled.

"It's coming right for us!" Lest cried.

The boys all hauled their butts as far as they could, and an explosion soon rocked the plateau. They all survived without a scratch, but the explosion could be seen within the city of Guilin. Sean was furious. Not only because again he failed, but they had made a scene, and especially in a place where preserving the nature was a top priority. He had no choice but to flee, but not before giving Yori and Val a message.

"You were lucky!" he yelled, "We'll meet again!" Then he ran off.

Val rolled his eyes, clearly unimpressed. "Wannabe…" then he let out a loud yawn.

"I suggest we hide as well, Ryan-kun," Yori said. "If we're spotted then they'll see us as the ones responsible."

"In a place like this, where can't you hide?"

The two disappeared in an instant.

Back where Sean had originally fired the missile, where a huge chunk of the ground had been blown apart, the only thing other than dirt, grass, and missile shrapnel was a small metallic device that looked like a jack. It was far too easy for Kim: She knew she was being followed by Sean and had a feeling he was going to come packing, probably in the form of a homing missile, and the way to counter that was to use a small device, one that would throw off the missile's homing computers and redirect it elsewhere: itself. It just so happened that Kim buried the jack-shaped device the same place Sean attacked. It was the perfect sniper's position, but an obvious one: the edge of the plateau.

Lucky guess?

No.

Instinct.

* * *

Another shrine forged by corrupted mystical powers. This was anything but Kansas, Toto.

Just as before, the interior of the shrine didn't resemble the location. The crystal-like walls in Tanzania, the organic passage in Egypt, but this time, Kim had wandered into what looked like an ancient Roman cathedral. She couldn't see the ceiling, and even though the glass windows were reflecting light, there was nothing on the other side but darkness. Yet, there was something peculiar about these images. Instead of what was expected on stained-glass paintings, they were images of her, each with different expressions. Happiness. Sadness. Anger. Fear. Pain. Embarrassment. Disappointment. Surprise. Annoyance. Curiosity. In fact, most of them resembled the picture Rufus painted of her when he became a super genius. The hallway was a long one, filled with even more images of Kim. It was a bit freaky.

After a while, it finally came to an end, but all Kim saw other than the ground was an empty darkness. As she moved on, however, some kind of building structure 'rotated' from below and surfaced, much like a hand on a clock going from six to twelve clockwise. In actuality, the path itself curved like a spiral, so it was actually Kim that turned upside down like going from 12 to 6 counterclockwise. But with the way gravity worked, she didn't realize it at all. So when she thought she was going up a tower, she was actually going down further into the earth.

The Tower invited her in with open doors, and Kim could tell this was going to be a long one. All kinds of roads and paths curved in and out of the tower, some at 90 degree angles. It didn't share the cathedral-like look like earlier. It was like someone pulled apart an Art History book and slapped everything here.

So she went in.

And yet for a Tower, the first room was another long corridor, filled with all kinds of traps just like before. Trap doors, spikes, axe pendulums, the typical temple traps. Since Kim had done this a hundred times at least, she just rushed right through it, setting off every trap available. She was already well out of the way by the time the trap had activated, and she leapt over the trap doors with ease, sometimes using the walls to run on and leap off of for distance.

Going to the next floor, the road had curved sideways and outside the tower. Kim found her feet parallel to the outer wall, but continued on.

It was a long road filled with all kinds of traps, both minor and major, and some felt like puzzles more than anything. For example, Kim found herself in front of a huge pool of water, and the other side of the room was blocked by a huge wall. There was a wind-up lever that opened the door, but it came back down just as Kim let go, leaving her with only a few seconds to get across. But the pool of water was far too large to jump across, there was nothing to latch onto using the grappling hook, the walls were too far away to use, and not only that, but the room was being gassed with, well, gas. The rocket shoes would have been perfect for this kind of situation, but that was obviously not a safe choice, unless Kim wanted to become the first barbeque-fried Possible. She had to think of something, but she had to act fast. The door behind her was sealed shut just as the gas entered the room.

There had been one thing she was eager to try out, and part of it was inspired by jealousy towards Val's abilities. He was always a step ahead, he was always ahead of the game, but he never grew arrogant of his abilities. Any and everything he was capable of, anyone else could do, he claimed. He thought there was more like him out there when there wasn't. But this taunting, mixed with several endless defeats, did have an effect on Kim, almost growing competitive, and her self-esteem suffered from the knowledge that he was always better. Normally she wouldn't be concerned with the food chain, but she had to stop him from stealing the relics, and she told herself that she was going to beat him. No hostage situations where he would go easy on her, no electromagnetic scramblers, just a true fair fight. But she never had time to train due to college and a job, and by the time she did have time, both Ron and Val went missing. No motivation there whatsoever.

But she believed it. The things he was capable of, she was capable of, too.

The idea she had?

Run across on the water. She had seen Val do it, and she had no doubt she could do it as well. Swimming alone wouldn't have done it, as it was knee-deep, and running on the surface below wasn't possible. It took her a few seconds to decide this, and she wound up the lever, opening the door as much as she could, and hoped this would work.

She sprinted across the water on her first try and made it safely across.

Now she had to do it again on the floor above, and like before, the path took her outside the tower, and this time she found herself upside down (technically, right-side up) before entering the next floor.

Oh, and she had fun with it…

The room looked like a series of M.C. Escher's works come to life, most noticeably the popular _"Relativity"_, with whacked out perspectives that would have impossible in the real world. That and it was impossible to know if gravity really played a role in all of this.

But the main floor wasn't the hard part, filled with floating objects and traps. It was trying to figure out the exit that was the problem. Even though Kim triggered most of the traps just for them to miss her, she would run into a door, thinking it was the right way, only to reach a dead end. But upon returning to the main room, the traps had been reset. This quickly grew frustrating as the room was filled with endless doors on all six sides of the room, and Kim quickly grew dizzy trying to figure out where she was and what rooms she already went into. She easily got lost. It also didn't help that outside the Tower, the scenery was rather bizarre. Upside down (right side up) birds were flying in purple skies, but the birds looked exactly like those you'd shoot in a shooting gallery at a carnival. But they moved, wings flapping and all. And some weren't a pleasant sight. Some had devil heads, and some had no heads, blown off like broken wood. And they made strange noises. Some grunted like pigs, others mooed like cows.

And she noticed something really bizarre: one of them was a naked mole rat. It wasn't Rufus, but it looked like him. At least it didn't say "naco!" or it would've freaked her out.

Then it did.

"Naco!"

It soon flew away with the rest. Awkweird.

Much to Kim's dismay, it took her a good 40 minutes to find the real exit to the next floor, only to find the next floor looking almost the same. Navigating through this one, she couldn't comprehend how she got from one side of the room to the other, but she focused much more on finding the exit. The sooner this ended the better. It wasn't as creepy as the pyramid, nothing could be creepier than that, but it was still creepy nonetheless.

"I am so not looking at Ron's games the same way again…"

She noticed that on her ascent to the top (descent to the bottom), the place looked more and more ancient and worn, as the floors and walls appeared damaged and dilapidated. She got out of this one by, surprisingly, just going straight, but the path to the next floor wasn't solid. They were stairs, but pieces of it were floating, leaving Kim no choice but to jump.

And often, she had a hard time jumping due to the gravity, barely grabbing onto them most of the time. But she managed. One might ask why she wasn't using her equipment, but she actually forgot she had her utility belt, and she knew she could handle this on her own. Only when the situation truly called for it, then she would. All of these shrines were tests of endurance, and she would have felt disappointed if she made things much easier for herself.

After the two strange floors, it was another hallway filled with floating, unstable, rotating platforms. A fall and Kim would have fallen four or so stories below, and with the way the platforms moved, being affected by weight, the grappling hook would be useless, although Kim would likely save herself on the floor below. So, waiting for the right moment when the first floating platform was parallel to her footing, she jumped on. She landed right in the middle, exactly where she wanted to be, but she had to maintain her balance until the next platform was safe to jump onto. When that happened, she jumped on, and this went on until she reached the end.

Again, broken stairs to the next floor, ones that curved upside down and back, and Kim could have sworn gravity was on her side. Normally, anyone would have fallen off at some point or another.

Another floor similar to the last, but the floating platforms were all parallel to the walls. They weren't stable or moving at all. Because of the narrow distance between them, it allowed Kim to run on them like walls and jump from wall-like platform to wall-like platform quickly.

Next floor, and this was finally looking like a tower. It was rather simple, but at the same time deadly. There were two walls, sleek and smooth unlike the rest of the place, that went so high that Kim couldn't see where they stopped, but the plan was clear. She had constantly do wall jumps to get to the very top, but there was no telling how high that was. One mistake high above could be fatal. She couldn't even see a speck of light. At least she didn't have to deal with watching bizarre images on purple skies.

So it began. Jump onto the wall, jump off of it and land on the other, and jump off again, land on the other, then jump off again. Repeat that at least 70 times and you've got what Kim had to go through. She reached the top without expecting it, expecting to jump onto another wall when she landed on the floor, and accidentally lost her balance. She was hoping this would be the top, but more stairs surrounding the tower would lead her there, and it was a long path. As before, the path twisted and curved, and often it was broken and separated, with series of stairs floating in the air.

So she tackled it. Run up some stairs to the end, jump off and land on the next series of stairs (and like before, she often had to grab onto the ledge), run up those, and so on.

But halfway through the obstacle course, Kim found herself suddenly exhausted. She's had her share of running up several stairs without her stamina affecting her, the Tower at Bay City coming to mind, but then again she had a battle suit that didn't affect her stamina like that. This was different, and she had no battle suit on her. So, despite being on a floating rock of stairs, she took a small break. Unfortunately, this left her to observe the skies and everything that moved in it. She realized that the skies rotated around the tower like some kind of portal at the top, or like she was in a slow tornado with no winds. Even then, the sky was slowly changing color. It went from purple to green, then green to blue (though it was anything but natural blue skies), and from blue back to purple. A lot of bricks and demolished stone were floating around everywhere, rotating, but a lot of them were covered in moss, roots and vines.

Before Kim knew it, she felt much less exhausted and moved on, at least she was about to until she heard a crumbling noise coming from below. The first set of stairs fell apart, and soon the second, and the third and so on, and it was making its way up to her. Realizing the situation, Kim ran to the top of the stairs she was on and jumped, much faster than before, but the stairs were getting faster and faster in falling apart, too. It had her at a disadvantage.

And just as she reached the final set of stairs, they completely fell apart on her, but not before she used her running momentum to throw herself upward, barely enough to grab onto the ledge of the final floor. She pulled herself upward, finally making it to the top, only to find…

…. Absolutely nothing, but a circular hole in the middle of the ground. She could hear something out of it, something approaching, so she got into a defensive stance and prepared herself.

An elevator came out from the hole, but it was anything but modern. It was upside down, with a chain supporting what was supposed to be the top. It looked medieval, but it hadn't aged. She carefully walked inside, and when the door closed, all hell broke loose. The elevator went down (upward) at an intense speed, so much that it was hurting her. It actually crashed through the other floors, sending debris all over the place, but the pain was too much to bear, almost affecting Kim's consciousness. In less than a minute, it had stopped at its final destination, opening the doors. Kim quickly collapsed on the ground, perplexed to where she was.

She was under the tower, but standing right-side up. There was nothing but the spiral path that originally had her going from right-side up to upside down towards the entrance. She was about to head that way again, just the other direction. Going through it, she was actually now under the corridor she found herself in when she first entered the cave, with all the stained-glass images of herself, but now upside down.

Right in front of her was a small building structure with a door. It was no bigger than her room.

When she walked inside, she saw it: The final Jade Monkey statue. It was just sitting there without protection, but something didn't feel right. Kim could hear all kinds of noises from the wall, all indistinguishable. She kept a defensive stance as she slowly crept towards the statue, and the noises just got louder. There had to be a trap of some sort in here.

Finally, when she was within jumping distance, she leapt towards it.

She flew straight into a wall, which came crashing down just as her feet left the floor. As she got up, rather large crevices opened up on the floor. When Kim saw what came out, she was pretty much glued to the wall, scared so much that she was almost petrified.

Bugs. An army of poisonous insects, with huge shells, several legs, and massive pinchers, and they quickly filled the room.

They weren't ordinary bugs, either. They were colossal in size. Her head could easily fit inside their mouths, all dripping with acid.

As one would expect, these weren't the kinds of bugs she had tackled a long time ago with Ron, ones that were intelligent and actually had feelings. While these also appeared to be mutated, they were all created with one purpose in mind:

Kill the intruder.

And before Kim could even grab her head, one of the bugs had already jumped at her, and she had gone down faster than a tackle at a football game, breaking the floor on impact. The behemoth had already thrusted its pinchers towards her head, and had she not moved her head aside, it would have been ripped right off. It was incredibly fast, with its weight pressing hard against Kim to keep her trapped, still attempting to tear her head wide open. But it kept missing every time, until it stopped and started making some sort of weird sound, as if it were gathering something.

Kim realized what it was and managed to squeeze her legs out, kicking the bug away in a handspring. As it flew away, it shot out acid at the ceiling, breaking it apart. But as Kim tried to cover herself, she was tackled by yet another bug. But as this one tried to keep her down, another one chose to attack, and another. Instead of letting them make their moves, she struggled to escape, by kicking away one bug and grabbing onto another's pinchers. But even after that, the other bug actually somehow performed a somersault, crashing onto Kim with its shell, and again she engraved the floor.

But as time went on, the bugs only continued their raid, more and more attacking Kim at once with their shells and pinchers, and she couldn't defend herself for long. At one point, from behind a bug tore the back of her shirt wide open, and with her attention briefly on that, another had cut her shoulder, and just as she noticed that one had cut her leg. She leapt out of the way, only to be attacked in mid-air. There were just too many of them. But the wall wasn't slowly opening up or giving her any kind of escape. So many gargantuan bugs in a small room, and they weren't slow at all. Just hearing their hundreds if not thousands of legs creep on the floor, their black and green 'skin' under their yellow, red and black shells, and all that disgusting multi-colored acid dripping from their mouths. She attempted to attack them with hand-to-hand techniques, and they weren't big enough for her not to throw them, but her punches and kicks did nothing, and after every throw she was immediately tackled with no time to react to it. It just wouldn't end.

That was until Kim suddenly felt a horrible pain in her belly, so much that for a moment she couldn't move.

She had been stabbed by one of the bugs. Its pincher penetrated her skin right below her left rib cage. It didn't have acid coming out of its mouth, and she tried with great pain to pull it out before it could poison her. She succeeded, but not before letting out a painful scream as she saw her own blood on the bug's pincher.

She didn't allow herself to fall to the ground, but the wound wasn't as severe as she feared. It took a lot to just stand up, but the insects weren't going to go easy on her anytime soon. She didn't know how she could still stand, but realizing the situation, it was now clear to her.

Kill, or be killed.

There was no other way.

She held back in hopes that there was another way around this, but if she didn't do anything drastic, she was going to get killed. This wasn't a test anymore. Looking at the blood that stained her shirt, and feeling an abnormal amount of pain from it, this was serious.

She pulled out the sword Val had given her, having to thrust her elbow into another bug that attacked from the side. She really didn't want to do this, but then she remembered: This is part of a physical illusion, forged by mystical powers. This wasn't real, in a way it was, but it wasn't. Was this necessary to fight against Ron?

Whether it was or not, she was going to get herself killed by taking a second longer to think about it. The bug in front of her charged at her, with her blood on its pincher, rolled itself into a ball like an oncoming boulder.

And before Kim even knew it, she sliced the bastard in half, sending all kinds of yellow-green goo all over the room.

"Gross…!" she weakly cried, her wound making it hard to yell.

The room suddenly went silent. Seeing that one of their own had fallen, every bug in the room froze and faced the one with the blade. They all charged at her simultaneously.

Hesitantly, Kim attacked, sending halves of the bugs and goo all over the room. She did it all with her eyes closed, attacking blindly and taking the bugs down by the numbers, often three to four in one swing, and had she had her eyes open, she would have noticed she was more graceful with a sword than she originally thought. She still had a lot of the pain in her body slow her down, but the bugs attacked relentlessly, and soon she was no different. Within a matter of minutes, the room went completely silent, and she heard the wall open up. Not wishing to see the carnage, she kept her eyes closed as she approached the final Jade Monkey statue and took it into her hands. Taking it off its base, though, she heard a lot of rumbling in front of her. Barely opening her eyes, she saw that another wall in front of her opened up, revealing a set of stairs that went down. Inside, she saw that she was back in the original corridor with the stained glass images, but they were all upside down.

Realizing this, she fell from the ceiling and onto the ground, her wound softening the fall for the Jade statue. She was finally right-side up again. It took her a good minute to get onto her feet with the Jade statue, which took a considerable amount of strength to do. Even though the wound wasn't severe, it was bleeding quite a bit.

"It's going to take forever to get this stain out…"

She was obviously concerned with other things, not letting herself become afraid of her own injury. She tried to walk out as fast as she could, since she wasn't going to last forever in this condition. So she struggled to get out.

And when she did, nothing but blinding lights filled her vision, and the sound of twelve handguns cocking.

"FREEZE!"

She was at gunpoint from twelve policemen, with two helicopters flying overhead.

"HANDS IN THE AIR!"

However, she just didn't have the strength to do it, succumbing to her knees and gently dropping the statue on the ground.

"I SAID HANDS IN THE AIR!"

She just couldn't do it.


	19. 18: Prelude to the Final Engagement

The slow story finally speeds up. I apologize beforehand for any corny writing or dialogue, and anyone offended by a couple of f and s-bombs.

**Chapter 18: Prelude to the Final Engagement**

**

* * *

**

Waking up to a bandaged wound and with the Jade statue at her side, Kim was instantly given water and all kinds of food. Somewhat confused, she asked what was going on.

The last thing she remembered was escaping the final shrine with the Jade Monkey statue, and she was suddenly blinded by helicopter spotlights. Exhausted by the fight and suffering a stab wound in her left abdomen, she wound up fainting in front of the authorities.

They didn't recognize her because she had green and yellow stains all over her body, more on her hair than anything. Unaware that she was bleeding, they tossed her into the police car with her prized possession and took her to the station. However, once they took her out and into the building, one of the officers immediately recognized her. He also noticed that part of Kim's black shirt was darker than the normal material. Finding her wound, he demanded immediate medical attention right there and then.

As they attempted to treat the wound, they learned that part of the green and yellow venom made its way into Kim's bloodstream, poisoning it, and was quickly spreading throughout her body. Thankfully, a cure wasn't difficult to find. Had she been in any other country she might not have been so lucky. Within a couple of hours the wound was treated and she was free of the poison.

The officer informed Kim that they had seen an explosion from the city and went to investigate. There had been a small fire that was somehow put out by the time they got there, and the only person they found at the site was an unrecognizable Kim, injured and barely conscious, with the monkey statue at hand. They investigated the cave she walked out of, and that's all it was, a cave. A beautiful one, though, with pools of water reflecting beautiful light on the walls.

Asking her what was going on, she calmly replied that the explosion was caused by another bad guy who had been following her out to destroy her, and after being asked why this was, Kim claimed that he kept asking her out and she said no. The reason she was in the cave was to retrieve the Jade statue in order to save her real boyfriend from a condition that was mutating him. Whether or not Sean really knew what she was really after was unknown, but she made no mention of who she was working with. But she also didn't want this to grab attention and let everyone know she was here.

Of course, the officer was another person Kim helped in the past, so he respected her wishes and kept everything under wraps. While everyone there was aware of the bounty, a Christmas bonus they could all benefit from, nobody there had the heart to do it. The officer himself had a more personal reason, because when Kim had come here to save people from a flooded village near the river a couple of years ago, she also saved his family from getting sucked away in the river current.

Needless to say, Kim appreciated it and thanked everyone there one by one. They also wished her luck with Ron. She was going to need it.

It was morning by the time the police had given her more survival equipment and food, and let her take a long shower upstairs to get all the yellow and green goo off, not to mention the smell. She felt great by the time she left, only to walk down an empty street alone, headed straight for the airport.

"I was wondering how long it would take you to get out of there," and annoyed male asked her.

She turned around to suddenly find Val and Yori behind her. Yori had her backpack with a warm smile as usual, Val with a rather tired and impatient look on his face.

"You try slicing giant poisonous insects in half and getting the smell out," Kim quickly snapped back, with no bluntness or sarcasm in her voice. "Not to mention getting stabbed by one and getting the stain out."

Yori quickly gasped. "You were stabbed?"

"Yeah…" Kim said as she lifted her shirt to show them. The bandage was much bigger than the actual wound, giving a false impression. "It's no big, really… no pun intended… but it doesn't hurt that much anymore…"

"Really…?" an unconvinced Val asked.

"Really," she quickly answered, poking the bandage and barely wincing with each poke. "I'm not saying that it doesn't hurt, Val, but it's not morbidly unbearable agonizing pain that's worth screaming about."

Yori let out a relieved sigh. "I am glad to see that you're okay." She shortly took the Jade statue from Kim and put it in her backpack. She still continued to carry it, sparing Kim the extra weight because of her injury.

Kim had to ask. "Where were you guys, anyway?"

Val rubbed his head briefly. "What? Did you really think we would allow ourselves to be seen? You're talking to a girl in a ninja uniform and someone who's wanted in over 47 countries."

Looking at Yori's eyes, she didn't seem to agree with what Ryan said. "I only suggested that we hide so we wouldn't be caught by authorities after the explosion."

Kim rolled her eyes, unimpressed. "I _knew_ Sean was going to attack with some kind of homing missile…"

"But we didn't think you'd come out of the cave the same time the police arrived," Yori continued, "but attacking them would have only made things worse."

Val didn't agree. "Speak for yourself, Yori-chan. I'm surprised your reasons don't include 'We would have made _our_ presence known'," making it sound selfish by the sound of his tone.

"What do you mean?"

He let out a frustrated groan. "You may not have anticipated that Kim would have been caught, but I did."

"If that's true, then why didn't you do something to prevent them from finding Possible-san?"

He only turned his back on the girls for a brief moment in silence, then turned around and answered. "I needed to see what they would do to her. The hunt has made its way here, and I wanted to see what was more important to them; the things Kim had done in the past, or the reward money."

"Well, as you can see," Kim said, "It was so not about the money."

"Yes…" he spoke with a frustrated and bitter tone, "I can see that…" It wasn't hard for any of the girls to see that he was upset about something.

"What's wrong?" Kim quickly asked. "You don't mean you'd prefer it if they threw me in the slammer and take the reward money? You'd be up all night complaining about 'duty versus personal feelings' if that were the case."

He turned away, shaking his head. "No… it's nothing like that at all…"

"Then what is it?" Kim asked with concern in her voice. "Really, what's the matter?"

"It's nothing. Just forget it." Again, he turned away, not allowing the girls to see his face. He just let out a sigh in an attempt to let whatever he was feeling escape from him.

That is, until he felt something on his shoulder that almost completely froze his blood: Kim's hand. It was a passive touch, something he had never felt from a girl his entire life. But he wouldn't usually let any girls get near him for that matter, and Kim knew it. She noticed that his skin shivered when she touched him, but chose not to focus on that.

"Come on. You can tell me."

He lightly took her hand off. "I told you it was nothing."

But again, she grabbed him. "Val, listen… how do you expect to find love when all you do is hide your thoughts and never open yourself up to anyone?"

Somewhat perplexed at the sudden timing of the question, he didn't take long to answer. "Simple. Because those people who usually do ask me what my thoughts are, they wind up regretting it before I'm even done answering for them, and everything I believe in is based on what I've seen others do in their lives and what I've done in my own. I don't know why you asked me this out of the blue, but there's your answer. People are already sick and tired of what I believe in just as it leaves my mouth, so I keep it shut."

"That didn't stop you from opening yourself up to me about your days in high school and how you got your scar," Kim quickly countered. "But I don't regret asking about it."

"Because you wanted to know more about someone you consider an adversary."

"No… I was curious, and I thought maybe by learning more about you, I could help you."

"And why would you want to do that?"

"Well, I figured since you helped me, I could help you back. I know there's something inside of you just dying to come out, Val. It's the only reason you feel trapped inside and feel the need to fight. You don't know what else makes you feel alive, but there's more to you than combat."

"Fair enough, I suppose…" he said, finally turning around to face her, "And while that was an interesting speculation, it's far from accurate, I'm afraid."

Kim snapped her fingers, hoping she nailed it. "I see… So, are you going to tell me what's bothering you?"

Smiling at her persistence, he took two steps toward her and stopped, so close that their noses were almost touching.

"No," he simply said. "It has nothing to do with you or your objective." He turned around again, but this time he walked off. "I'll be around… I just need some time alone…" In his usual fashion, he turned the corner. The girls followed him, but he was gone without a trace by the time they hit the corner.

"Geez, what was that about?" Kim asked with clear disappointment. "I know he's not exactly the yellow happy setting of the moodulator, but man… Did something happen to him last night?"

Yori shook her head. "No… He was in front of the police station the whole night, ready to make a move if you were put in any danger. Perhaps his mood is from a lack of a good night's sleep?"

"If that's the case, he's not the only one… Was he ever like this back when he first entered Yamanuchi?"

"Not at all," Yori quickly answered. "His grandfather believed he was some kind of prodigy and pressured him to join the school, but he was very calm and reserved, yet naïve. But you have to remember he's gone through so much since."

"True… Oh well."

They weren't going to get any answers with him out of the picture. Still, it bothered Kim, but she wasn't going to dwell on it for much longer. She had collected all four of the Jade Monkey statues, but despite everything she had gone through, surviving nightmares come alive in shrines to test her sanity as well as every nerve in her body, the thought of fighting a demented and possessed Ron Stoppable still sent chills run up her spine, though not as much as before.

She couldn't help but wonder; what was the point in the shrines other than retrieving the statues? Would such nightmares really prepare her for the worst, or were they simply the result of corrupted powers and nothing more than that? What about the things she had seen in them? Smelled? Breathed? Could going through some of your worst fears prepare yourself for the one absolute thing you feared the most?

Even though she retrieved the statues, Ron wasn't going to sacrifice his current powers willingly. Even though she hoped there was an easier way around it, she would end up using force. She had to fight him. But she still wasn't sure if she could beat him. What if the Jade statues didn't work? How powerful was he? Would anything else interfere in his favor?

The thought of attacking someone with his eyes, albeit a different color, was a tough one, despite having fought him all before in the past. But this wasn't mind or body control. While he was possessed, he was still in there, even if it was his anger and hatred coming through. There was a lot of truth in the things he blamed her for when she first ran into him, but at least Kim could tell herself now that it wasn't all her fault. A lot of things he said hit home, but she wasn't the only problem in the relationship. Not even close, for that matter. Earlier, she just let his words eat at her. After all, she was surprised to find that he was still alive after six months, but the reunion was anything but a happy one, and she hoped otherwise.

Could everything she had already experienced in the temple compare to him? It was hard to say. Thinking about it had her lean both ways.

But she couldn't wait until she was mentally prepared to take him on, since the transformation inside his body was eventually going to kill him. And since he had this condition for nearly a year, he could drop dead any minute. But unfortunately, she also wasn't in a condition to fight him. Her wound would no doubt work against her in a duel, and she hadn't slept much in the past couple of days.

Reading her thoughts just by the ways Kim's eyes moved, Yori saw where this was going. "I am sorry, Possible-san, but I cannot allow you to go any further without a good night's rest."

Then Kim was treated to an interesting sight: Yori yawned. She hadn't slept well in the last couple of days, either.

"Looks like I'm not the only one," Kim said with an amused smile. Just as she took a step to start looking for a hotel, Yori noticed something.

"Possible-san, what is that sticking out of your pocket?"

Kim didn't even notice. She pulled out what appeared to be a coupon, in English no less. It was for a free stay at one of the more expensive hotels in Guilin. The timing couldn't have been better. And even more convenient, it was less than two blocks down.

Funny enough, when the girls got next to each of their beds, they were out like rocks.

Shortly afterward, someone snuck into the room.

* * *

Wade couldn't help but wonder how this happened. 

Shortly after Kim had retrieved the first statue, he picked up something peculiar on his satellite radars: some kind of transmitter, and it was coming from someone within the party. While he had Kim turn off her tracking chip, he feared that maybe someone or something placed a tracker on her. After all, Sean and his boys constantly knew where Kim was going, though it appeared they didn't know what her motives were.

Instead, he found himself intrigued by the fact that the tracker wasn't on Kim nor Yori, but Val. It was between one of the crevices of his left boot, and he was completely unaware of it. Despite all that he had done to help Kim on this journey, Wade couldn't shake off a bad feeling about his involvement. Here was a guy who used Kim's emotions in combat often, someone who got a thrill of fighting her, and now he wants to help save her relationship with Ron? Even with Val giving his reasons, Wade just didn't believe him. Then again, whether or not you believed anything that came out of Val's mouth, you'd usually be wrong.

But just when he was starting to think maybe Val wasn't so bad, now came the golden opportunity to keep an eye on Legion the entire time. It would probably be the only one, since Val usually knew how he was being tracked and knew how to throw it off.

This also left Wade at a dilemma. Should he tell Kim about this? The tracking signal could be traced, giving her location away to the black suits or anybody else who wanted her out of the picture like Sean. It already put her in danger as it was, and unless the transmitter was disposed of, she would only be put in more danger, and probably to the extremes if all the black suits cornered her in an alleyway or something. You can only avoid so many assault rifles and machineguns at once. But if Val did anything suspicious or out of the blue behind the girls' back, Wade would know his every move. He didn't want Val to realize he was being tracked and watched, just so he could see what his motives in all this really were.

On the other hand, if he did tell Kim about Val having a tracker, there was a good chance he would overhear, even if Kim locked herself in a room deep into the earth. Both girls would also risk acting more cautiously around him, and he would see it in a heartbeat. It could screw everything up and Wade didn't want that. If Val did have bad motives and knew anyone was onto him, forget it, it was done. Over.

He came to a decision, one he was reluctant with: Keep a watch on Val for now. He just hoped he wouldn't regret it later. But he wasn't like this just because of a gut feeling and his own personal feelings toward Val. It was the fact that the transmitter's electronic signature was already in his database.

It belonged to Dr. Drakken.

Wade just carefully watched as Val's heat signature made sure the girls were asleep and well, rather than being tranquilized or anything. He took his boots and jacket off and crashed on the couch. He pulled out some kind of fruit from his bag, most likely from the stand in Kowloon, and ate it.

Whatever it was, it instantly put him to sleep.

Despite lacking his groundbreaking equipment back in Middleton, Wade could still keep his eyes on Val.

And Ron Stoppable, for that matter.

* * *

It had been dark for some time, with no rest in the last four or so days. The same thing had been going on for hours and hours and hours. Visibility was poor, it was hot, and even the moonlight didn't shine through the army of trees. 

"Are we there yet?" an exhausted girl asked.

"You've been asking that for the last hundred or so hours… Drop it already…" the other growled.

"Come on! How much longer do we have to move? And why here?"

"We can't stay in one place now that she's found us… no thanks to you."

"Hey!" the girl protested, "How was I supposed to know they were suddenly in Kowloon? One minute I'm taking care of the Crows, and the next second, I'm looking into your girlfriend's-"

"Kimberly Anne Possible IS **NOT** MY **GIRLFRIEND**!" the other one yelled, so hard that all kinds of birds flew from the top of the trees.

The purple-haired girl just crossed her arms, only scared for a split second. "Oh, good one, Ron. That certainly won't help you keep a low profil-"

"Oh, shut the hell up…" he snapped back quietly from the pain in his throat, "and quit trying to act like none of this is your fault. You keep me underground in collapsing, soaking and stinking buildings in Kowloon, saying that if anyone ever saw me and what I became, people would freak out, police would find out, and all that bull. But it would all end in Kim being told, and she would take me back to that pathetic former life I thought I had finally escaped… But you kept me caged no better than Kim ever did, and under the orders of someone I don't even know."

"Well," the girl calmly replied, "I was told to help you, and you wanted Kim out of your life. That was the only way, Ron."

"And what does your employer get out of this?"

Missy merely shrugged her shoulders. "He never told me. Just as I said, he just told me to help you, and you didn't want Kim to find you. When I told you about it after you saved me from the Crows the first time, you didn't object to it then. So why now?"

"Kim is somehow onto us. I can feel it…"

The city of Hong Kong was Ron's original destination when he ran away from Middleton, but getting lost, he found himself in the dark regions of Kowloon. Only spending a couple of days there, with a dramatic appearance change only in his clothes, he saw the Crows stalking a pretty purple-haired girl with an X-shaped scar between her eyes. They wouldn't leave her alone, and when she tried to fight back, Chimera had his boys keep her arms and legs suspended so she couldn't move. Ron, hoping to prove himself, attacked the gang and freed the girl.

As he fought with the mixed techniques Sensei and his life partner taught him, taking them all out without a scratch or sweat, the leader was nowhere to be seen.

Just as he asked the girl if she was all right, offering his hand to help her on her feet, Chimera lunged himself at Ron from behind with a knife. Surprisingly, it was the girl who knocked him out by grabbing the attacker's arm and using his flying momentum to bury his face into the ground.

After that, she introduced herself. It was a mere handshake and they parted ways, but only if the girl didn't follow Ron's every step. He grew annoyed of this for some reason, something the normal Ron Stoppable would usually embrace, and it was then that she revealed that she was to keep an eye on him. He didn't believe her.

"_So what will it take for you to believe me?"_ she asked.

"_Make sure my ex-girlfriend never finds me again."_

"_That's it?"_

"_That's it…"_

Suddenly, Missy had the blades of a spear to her neck.

The only feature that could be seen of the hooded Ron was his glowing red eyes. "You kept me in the darkness giving me all kinds of excuses why I couldn't see the light of day, like an animal in a cage. If I was ever seen, I'd be found by Kim and I'd return to my former life, ridiculed and laughed at to no end. And what happens? She sees YOU and I'M found because of it!"

The girl didn't look scared at all. "Don't feed me that bull, Ronald! You _chose_ to reveal yourself! Keeping yourself hidden from Possible was important to you, but I guess not so much as getting your revenge on Ryan!"

Ron only growled further. "You're just like Kim… _everything's_ my fault!"

"Grow up…" the girl quietly snarled.

"What did you just say?"

"You don't trust me, is that it?" Missy asked with a fierce tongue.

"How do I know you didn't orchestrate this whole damn thing?" Ron snapped back, "There was a reason she found me… You're a good one… too good just to screw up that easily. How do I know you didn't let Kim find you? Was your little swordfight in Middleton just something to throw me off? And why you? Why did they send you to look after me? Because you're cute? Your curves? Because you're tough? Maybe it's because you're triple-jointed in your arms, legs, and fingers and can dislocate them anytime you want? The whole natural purple hair and eyes thing?"

Missy crossed her arms again. "Enough already. Just like you don't tell _me_ everything, I don't have to tell _you_ everything, either! But know that I am definitely _not_ working with her, I could care less if you changed your mind about her and wanted to go back to her, and I did nothing to purposely lure her your way! If you don't trust me, that's fine, but unless you're going to kill me, get your _fucking_ spear out of my face!"

And just as fast as he the blade on her neck, she knocked it aside with two swords. Ron found himself impressed, smirking at her. Her eyes were just as hateful as his.

"Heh…" the hooded Ron chortled, "Last time I saw that kind of swordplay was from Ryan… Tell me… just what is your relationship with him?"

She got out of a defensive stance. "We go back… Way back…"

"High school? Middl-?"

"Don't know…" she quickly remarked, "but that's a separate personal matter I'll deal with on my own…"

Ron turned away from her, putting the spear away. "Maybe you're the one they're tracking…" he said to himself quietly, "Come on. We're not out of the jungle just yet…"

"So you mean this journey isn't without a destination?"

He didn't pay attention. "There's a small abandoned lodge not too far from here. We can rest there for the night."

"How do you know we're not lost?"

Ron pointed to a tree to her right. "That's how."

It was a tree with a carved heart and writing on it. In this light, it wasn't easy to read. Missy had to put a flashlight to it to read it.

"_K.P. & R.S."_

The way the 'marker' was drawn, it was like young love. Uso found it hard to believe it was something the two once had.

"What?" Ron asked. "Didn't think you'd see something like that in the jungles of Belize?"

The girl took her hand off the tree. "Nothing. Forget it."

* * *

"Belize, you said?" 

"_Yeah… actually, it's very close to where…"_

Kim sighed. "I know where he's at then, Wade." A sad look quickly filled her face, and she tried to hide it from the others.

"What's wrong?" Yori quickly asked. You couldn't fool a ninja.

"Maybe the real question is how do you know where he's at?" Ryan asked, grabbing all kinds of things from his backpack.

Story time from Kim. "You got me… Back when we first got into the relationship, right after we thought Val here died and after I graduated, Ron and I went to Belize to help locate some guys who got lost in jungle survival training. We saved them and the helicopter took them home. But it was our first month anniversary since Prom, and Ron wanted to make the day special, especially since he was supposed to go back to Yamanuchi to complete his training the next day. I couldn't say no to that, but we found an abandoned lodge hidden deep in the jungle. Brand new condition, a very comfy couch and bed, and a nice view. It belonged to the soldiers, but they never used it. So… we kind of made it our place. And we kinda went there every anniversary in the summer for each month… at least until we got into a fight that took us to Bay City…"

"Bad memories of all of us…" Val finished it with. "So why all depressed?"

Kim sighed again. "I know this sounds dumb, but since it was _our_ secret place, just the thought of him taking another girl there… I know, it's pathetic that I'm jellin' about it, since I don't even know if they really are 'together' together."

Val didn't agree. "Actually, you'd sound pathetic if you were trying to deny or hide it in some attempt to look tough around us."

"I know. But… about her…"

He secured something on his arm. "You do what you need to do with Ron. The girl is mine."

"Yeah… about her… I didn't even know Enya had a twin sister…"

Val stopped doing whatever he was doing. "What are you talking about?"

"_Yeah… about that…"_ Wade answered, _"While you were busy repairing your arm, I tried to see if I could find any information on her. According to official US government records, she's Enya Fayce's twin sister."_

Val grunted. "She didn't have a twin sister… one of the things that almost drove Enya to kill herself was too much loneliness in life. No friends, no siblings, no social life. That's the only reason she gladly took me in as her apprentice, taught me everything she did…"

"And loved you…" Kim reminded him.

Yori was astonished to hear this. "Really? Is that true?"

"Yes… at least that's what she said right before she was killed. Didn't even hit seventeen. Maybe she did, or maybe it was just something she said since she realized she was going to die."

"If they were true, did you… share those feelings?" Yori asked again.

He shook his head. "The feeling wasn't mutual, I'm afraid. She was more like a big sister than anything. I didn't really 'notice' girls until jocks were slamming the lockers with my arm halfway inside… my left arm no less."

"Upperton high with a wiped mind…" Kim said.

"So… what could it be?" Yori asked.

Val continued his work. "I don't know. I'll have to ask her myself."

And he was done with a drastic change in his outfit. No longer wearing his leather trenchcoat and packed to the bone, he was wearing something that looked like a military shirt, similar to Kim's, and black camo pants. It was hardly a fashion statement, as he packed himself with all kinds of weapons head to toe. Since Wade mentioned that Ron stopped in Belize, an outfit change was in order to tolerate the hot weather, not to mention he knew he was in for a fight. Despite being a pushover in Kowloon, he knew she was hiding it.

"By the way, catch."

Thankfully for Kim's sharp reflexes, she caught the clothes without letting it hit her in the face. The outfit, a sleeveless shirt and pants, were entirely military camouflage. And Kim didn't even need to ask Val what it was and why he gave it to her. Ron was at their lodge, which was in the middle of a jungle. More than likely that's where he would face her, and with the agility and aerobics of a monkey, he had the upper hand and would definitely use the environment against her. The camo was perfect for the jungle environment, and if Ron spent the slightest time having to look for her, it might give her the opening she needed to beat him or at least knock him out.

"You'd be surprised how often camo makes a difference in a harsh environment. It can mean the difference between life and death," Val told her.

The outfit wasn't really that different than her usual military shirt/ cargo pants combo she was wearing now, much to Kim's surprise, other than the jungle camo colors. Moving it around a bit to see how it looked, Kim noticed the pants were a little heavier than it should have been. Something was in the pocket: a handgun.

Kim spun in around in her hands from the trigger. "Tell me you didn't put this in here on purpose, Val…"

"Check the clip," he told her.

So she did. Had it not been for the Bio-mech hunt a couple of summers ago, Kim would have been clueless on how to use a gun, not handling such a weapon prior. Whatever was inside the clip weren't regular bullets, as they had some kind of liquid in them and a really sharp tip, similar to a shot needle but a couple of millimeters long as most.

"Tranquilizer rounds," Val explained, "They've been specially modified so only the needle penetrates the skin, and it immediately injects the victim with a sedative that eventually knocks them out. Hit anywhere near the nervous system and it'll be instantaneous."

"So either the head or spine… I see the suppressor's built into the gun…" Kim analyzed, "but is it dangerous? I won't use this if there's even the _slightest_ possibility that this'll hurt him."

"A couple of rounds won't, you have my word on that," he assured her, "But the sedative is powerful, so using an entire clip on him may prove otherwise."

"Provided every shot counts…" she said as she put the clip back into the gun, aiming it at the wall. She noticed a dim laser for precision aiming. "Here I am in a jungle hunting my own boyfriend… But I'm _only_ going to use this as a last resort."

"I wouldn't even use it as that. You can't wait until that time comes in a duel of life and death, Kim."

She put the gun into the holster of her belt. "I'll deal with Ron my way. You deal with Missy in your own."

"Fair enough," he said respectfully.

"One question, though…"

"Go ahead…"

"Why black camouflage?" Kim asked.

He had no problem explaining. "You see, Kim… things work better in my favor when I stand out and the enemy ambushes me. That way, I know where they are and how they're attacking, whether it be from the front or behind. Just because you can't see them doesn't mean you can't hear them. All I need to do is develop a quick strategy to take them out and defend myself, and use that defense as offense. Unless Uso is armed with a sniper rifle, I need to actually keep my guard up and keep my ears checked for even the faintest of sounds, but I don't meet too many people who use both guns and swords. It's usually one or the other. But standing out draws the enemy my way. But if she actually manages to sneak up on me, then she deserves to kill me. You're in a completely different situation yourself."

There was a lot more to it than that, but that was the general idea.

Kim understood completely, "Gotcha. Now if you don't mind, I might change into this before we leave," still holding up the green camo shirt and pants.

Val stopped her. "One more thing."

"What?"

"Camouflage means nothing if you don't have face paint on, and if your arms are exposed like that, those need to be covered as well. Should be in the other pocket."

"Good point. And my hair? Red's definitely going to stand out in a jungle."

"Other pocket also has a bandanna you can wrap your head in."

"Swell."

Kim then retreated to the bathroom to change, and disconnected Wade. She was out in a few minutes, hardly recognizable because of the bandanna giving her a new hairstyle. But she had no face paint on. That'd come shortly before reaching Belize.

"So, how do I look?" Kim asked. She didn't like the idea at first, but it quickly grew on her for some reason.

"It looks good, Possible-san," Yori simply answered. She wasn't exactly a fashion girl herself.

Val on the other hand didn't answer right there and then.

"Well, Val?" Kim asked.

Finally, he sighed. "You're asking me how I think you look in _camouflage_…"

"Yeah. So?"

"Camouflage is designed to help you blend in with your surroundings in a harsh environment. It is NOT a fashion statement!"

"I know _that_… but I've seen people wear camo-influenced designs before," she countered, "Can't say I agree with you there."

"Regardless, you're wearing that so you can last a little longer in the jungle, not so you can look good."

"Duh, Val. But I think it looks good… are you loaning this to me, or can I keep it?"

He held his head. "Sure… I have no need for a woman's camo gear anyway…"

"Um, Ryan-kun…" Yori interrupted, "Why _do_ you have women's camo gear?"

"Let's just say it used to belong to someone I once knew… I'm amazed it fits so well on Kim after all these years…"

Kim was just moving around. It wasn't so much that it looked interesting; it felt extremely comfortable, too. Not too tight, not too loose, and plenty of breathing space. "It's comfy!"

Val couldn't take it anymore. "Fine, you want my opinion?"

"Yep, that's what I asked for," Kim perkily answered.

"If you're trying to look tough and intimidating, then you fail at life. If you're trying to look cute, then you fit the bill perfectly. There, I said it."

The girls froze for a split second.

Kim was the first to speak. "Is that an insult or a compliment?"

Val was more surprised he said the word 'cute' in front of a girl, and was actually referring to someone right in front of him. "Pick one…"

Kim didn't say a word. The plane was leaving soon, and they needed to get to the airport. Another private plane. So, she took her bag and made her way out of the room…

…but not before turning to Val and sticking her tongue out at him, serious face included.

After she left the room, Yori couldn't help but giggle. "I think she really liked it, Ryan-kun."

He covered his face again. "I'll never understand women…"

* * *

While everyone got the sleep they all needed, it was already late in the afternoon by the time they woke up. The sun was starting to set, and even if they tried, they couldn't get back to sleep for the night. So, Kim decided that they'd catch a plane and make it an overnight flight to Belize. 

Because of time differences, they gained fourteen hours back (not counting the flight itself). It was the morning of the same day when the plane landed at the airport.

Their arrival wasn't unexpected, though.

Keeping a watch on things, Melissa Uso infiltrated the area and snuck though luggage, shipment and equipment to see if she could confirm that Ron was right. Kim and Val wouldn't be in passenger planes, but she looked, anyway. Nowhere to be found, although she nearly mistook some girls for Kim because of similar features, suspicious they could be disguises. She kept herself busy without catching anyone's suspicion, even with her appearance.

It had been a half hour or so before a plane landed in front of her, a private type. She didn't bother to wait until the passengers left, instead she leapt onto the door of the plane and busted it open, jumping inside. She startled the pilot, but no one else.

The plane was free of passengers. Judging by the look of things, from an open door to used seatbelts and open luggage compartments, it hadn't been empty for long.

Uso quickly pulled out a walkie-talkie. "I just caught a private plane, but no one's in here."

"_I told you she was onto us…"_ Ron snarled on the other end, _"No doubt they were in there… They _had_ to have been in there…"_

"Do you think they're close by?"

"_They've probably snuck into the jungle already… You better get back here before they arrive…"_ Ron told her.

"Wait…"

Another plane had landed next to the one she was already in, a much fancier-looking one. Six boys in black came out, one of them pointing in the direction of the jungle and demanding his team go there. They were also packed with huge backpacks and equipment.

"Looks like you're not the only one with your eyes on Kim…" Uso said with a smirk.

"_Make sure they _don't_ interfere, Missy!" _Ron demanded._ "If there's one person who's going to kill Kim Possible, it's going to be me and me alone! I'm not interested in anyone else today!"_

"I'll wait until they get farther into the jungle," she calmly replied, "If they don't know exactly where they're going, there's no need to follow them."

"_Just keep a lookout, alright?"_

"Copy that…"

* * *

Zero Hour. 

Kim didn't expect to arrive unexpected. Not by a long shot. Either she was going to be ambushed when she got off the plane, or it was going to be shot down. Without telling the pilot, she planned it so that she and her party would leap out into the jungle before the airplane came close to the airport.

Covered entirely in camouflage, Kim parachuted her way into the jungle but far away from the lodge. At first she wanted to land near there, knowing that's where Ron would be and wouldn't have the opportunity to run away this time. However, when the plane reached the coast of Central America, she felt something different. It was similar to that where she detected Ron was nearby, the same feeling, really. But it felt slightly different this time. It felt… inviting.

Ron wanted her there. It was all going to end today. This was it.

But a gut feeling told her he was going to ambush her, using her parachute landing as his chance. She would jump straight into the fire, and the chute wouldn't save her from the burn. So, she decided she'd land in the jungle but about ten miles away from the lodge, somewhere she and the others would be safe upon landing.

So, all three of them jumped from the plane when Kim knew where she wanted to land.

* * *

Ron stepped outside the lodge, sucking in the morning air and breathing it back out. The morning mist. 

"So, that's the game you want to play, is it, Kim? Either you find me, or I'll find you… either way, it makes no difference… the battle has already been decided… You can't escape your fate… no, you can't _change_ fate… not now… not ever… not anymore…"

* * *

"Yes I can…" she said quietly with the wind hitting her, "This isn't fate, Ron. I'm not going to give up on you. Not now, not ever. I _will_ save you … I'm not leaving here without you…" 

The plane had landed, but all three were still falling in the air. Finally, Kim released her parachute.

* * *

Ron started to walk down the steps of the lodge. 

"You're just not leaving here, period. This will be the last place you ever visit… _KP_… This will be your grave… Once I'm finished with you, once you're out of the picture… The world will know who Ron Stoppable is… they'll _bow_ before my name…"

* * *

"Cut the drama, Ron. You're coming home" 

Just then, Kim flew into all kinds of branches, shielding her face with her legs crossed, slamming into and breaking everything that got in her way. Just when she was close enough to the ground, she released the parachute and embraced herself for the hard landing. It wasn't a soft and slow descent like usual. Instead she flew into the jungle no faster than the plane she jumped from.

She used her falling momentum to roll once she hit the ground, rolling several times before coming to a full stop. Knees on the ground, standing on her hands, and looking into the dirt. Unharmed and without a scratch, she slowly got up.

The jungle, a place she had been several times in the past. This wasn't new to her at all. Not one bit. It was early in the morning, with several small sunbeams making their way into the area, blocked off by the many trees and leaves that engulfed the region. As beautiful as it was, Kim didn't find herself admiring the scenery. The thought didn't even come to mind. This was going to be the place of the final battle, one that would determine her life as well as Ron's. She was ready to finish this. She'd get herself killed if she just engaged in combat with Ron, but she'd find a way. She always found a way.

The jungle had practically welcomed her. No discomfort. No pain. No fear. She was determined to bring Ron home and end all of this.

Just then, two others landed behind her, a hard landing with no parachutes required.

Overall, the landing went off without a hitch. No injuries, no problems, and no immediate detection. The perfect infiltration. Nearly silent, her camouflage blending in perfectly even with her red hair, as some of the flowers and plants shared the same orange-red color, Kim pointed her finger forward.

"It's this way…"

Before letting the other two acknowledge, she already got a move on.

It was a long walk, and early on, Kim and Val decided to hide their bags inside a hollow log. He put a transmitter on them so they'd be able to pick it up easily. He also set a trap in case anyone came across it and tried to steal it. After all, the Jade statues were in Kim's bag, and if Ron saw them, hell would break loose. From there, they carefully navigated through the jungle as quietly as they could, avoiding anything on the ground that wasn't dirt. Leaves could crack, and twigs could snap. The smallest noise would attract attention. Kim was more than extremely careful, keeping an eye on all of her surroundings with each step. Ron could have filled the place with booby traps, and one false move could get them caught, seriously wounded, or even killed depending on the trap.

Kim wasn't the only one. Val crept through the jungle right behind her, a knife in one hand and a sword in the other. While his black and gray camo didn't blend in as well, it was something he preferred for jungle combat. Yori seemed to be the most relaxed out of the three. While she kept her senses out for anything that might have been following them, she had no personal quarrel like the other two. Kim had Ron, Val had Missy, but she…

"Hold on…" she said quietly.

"What is it?" Val asked.

Yori put her hand in the air, instructing the two to be quiet. They could all faintly hear the sounds of twigs being broken and leaves being stepped on. It wasn't like an animal moving quietly. Something was stalking them, being quiet as they could, and they didn't come alone.

Kim grunted as quietly as she could, "Sean and his boys again… don't they ever give up? What are they really after, anyway?"

"You two continue on ahead…" Yori whispered. "I'll take care of them." She would use herself as bait to lure them away, and this was already apparent to the other two. "Good luck, both of you."

Kim appreciated it. "Thanks, Yori. But be careful. Sean's tougher than he looks in close-range combat."

"My intention is only to lure them away, not to engage them in a fight. But I'll keep that in mind should it come to that," Yori replied.

After that, the Kunoichi leapt onto a tree and vanished, making faint ruffling noises in the trees with her leave. Not even the weapons she carried made a noise.

"Good luck…" Kim said quietly.

"Later…" was all Val had to say.

But they didn't immediately move on. The approaching noises got more and more quiet, but they quickly got louder. Kim and Val got in defensive stances, but the loud noises were moving farther away. The diversion worked, and Kim only hoped nothing would happen to Yori. Self-sacrifice… But Val didn't find himself worried a bit. He found no reason to worry about her.

Now with the threat out of the picture, at least for now, they ventured on no differently than before. Some sudden noises had them ready to fight, but it was always the wildlife. Animals, and among them, a jaguar. Kim tried to keep her distance from it, hoping that nothing would happen. But once Val entered its range of vision, it left.

She smirked at him, a look on her face filled with words. _'You sure have a way with the animals, huh?'_ it read.

He didn't bother to react or respond. Instead, he continued on ahead of her.

As time passed by, it became more difficult to listen for anything unusual in the jungle. Waterfalls and rivers splashed water in the air, birds chirped without a care in the world, and various other animals strolled through the area as well, with no concern of the noise they made.

Suddenly, Val felt two taps behind his shoulder.

"Hold on…" Kim whispered. Once he stopped, she crept toward a tree to her right, one that was covered in moss. But it didn't look like it had grown there. She used a piece of a broken branch to take it off, and what she found was expected: The heart Ron carved into the tree almost two years ago. They were getting close. She silently instructed Val that they were to head left at 10 o'clock. He silently nodded, and let her lead the way.

It wasn't long before things started to look different. There weren't as many trees around, and the ambient noises of the jungle suddenly vanished.

The only sound that could be heard was breathing. A deep, grave and brooding kind of breathing, growling even, like someone was struggling with suffocating but didn't die. It surrounded them, impossible to determine what direction it was coming from. Val heard it from his left when Kim heard it from her right. Then she heard it from behind and he heard it ahead. Since nothing happened after a minute, the two figured it was a diversion of some sort, something just to strike fear in them.

They got particularly careful when they reached a huge field where trees were absent. It was just a dead indicator of a trap, but they kept their eyes open for everything, and they even moved the leaves aside with their feet, to see if there were traps buried under them. Their feet didn't touch the ground unless they knew they were stepping on safe terrain. Unfortunately, it was impossible to stay silent with so many leaves on the ground.

"Either you're the cautious types, or you're both scared…" a perky voice hummed.

Turning around, they at least found one of their targets. The girl.

But Missy Uso didn't have the look of an ordinary girl like she did in Kowloon, minus her hair, eyes and scar. This time, she wore a peculiar-looking tank top that revealed her belly, similar to what Kim was wearing, and extremely tight pants of the same design. A black outfit with purple linings. What was particular about them was that the overall pattern and design were very similar to the many battle suits Kim had run into the past. The difference? Those were jumpsuits and this one wasn't, at least from the top.

Armed with only two swords, she stood calm and free of fear, though you could tell by the look in her eyes that she was ready to fight. Val kept himself in a defensive stance, but Kim didn't want to fight. At least not now. She wanted a few answers before Val fought her. Knowing who she resembled, he was probably going to kill her, and you really can't interrogate a dead person, can you?

"So… what took you two so long?" Uso calmly asked. "Or should we just get down to it?"

Kim took a few steps forward, cautious in her footsteps with no menace in her stance. "Just who are you really?"

"Me? I'm just a girl following her orders, that's all."

Clearly she wasn't going to give Kim any of the answers she wanted, and Val found it pointless to get anything out of her. "Why do you resemble someone who died three years ago?"

"Oh, this?" she asked, running her fingers through her hair, then sliding them down her scar, "Beats me, Val. Beats me… Why? Does the answer truly concern you, or would you just rather have me dead and not have to worry about it much longer? I have nothing to live for, nothing to die for. It doesn't matter to me."

"What about Ron?" Kim asked. "Why did you get involved with him?"

The girl only narrowed her eyes at Kim. She wasn't going to speak of the matter. Her attention still went to Val. "So what is it about me that draws you towards me, Val? Is it something you like?" She said it with her hands moving up and down her hips, drawing her curves out, "Or is it something else?" she quickly stopped, getting into a defensive stance again. "Maybe I'm a girl you can't get over? Am I a bad memory to you, keeping you locked in the past? What is it to you whether I live or die?"

"You were obviously chosen to do this for a reason. Something to do with me and Kim… Why you?"

"Hell if I know. I'm just a girl who's been told all her life she can do things that ordinary people can't."

And right in front of them, she stretched her left arm out. Just by wiggling it around, her elbow and fingers bent in directions they weren't supposed to. She made a fist with her hand, although not a single finger touched the palm of her hand, but the other side instead. And her weapon never fell out of her grasp. And just as quickly as she dislocated her arms and fingers, she put them right back in place, again without dropping the weapon.

Kim couldn't help but wince with each sound of the bones popping in and out of place.

Val didn't seem impressed. "Neat trick. How'd you acquire it?"

"Don't know."

"You don't seem to know a lot, do you?" Kim asked, mocking the girl's same excuses.

Missy shook her head as if expecting the question. "No, I don't. I don't know anything about my past. All I've been fed is that I learned too much about a particular intelligence group, something about being a hacker and digging into every single one of their most top secret files, and I was caught. I had the skills of a spy, so instead of killing me or sending me off to prison, they wiped my mind and had me work for them. My first and the only assignment since was to seek out Ron Stoppable."

"Who's 'they'?" Kim quickly asked.

"Don't bother…" Val told her, "She won't tell you."

Missy smiled. "At least one of you is catching on."

"And here I was expecting a story about biogenetic engineering or cloning…" Val said sounding disappointed. "You know… you're a terrible liar, Uso… There's a lot more to the situation and you than you're letting on."

Somewhat surprised and unable to defend herself, she quickly thought of something. "A girl's gotta have some secrets."

Kim had a feeling this wasn't going to work, but she tried it anyway, "Missy, please. If you're trapped in all of this, we can help you. We don't want to hurt you…"

"Speak for yourself…" Val quietly said.

Kim rolled her eyes before she continued, "Fine, _I_ can help you. Just put down your weapons, tell me where Ron's at, and I promise I can help you find your past when this is all over. I want to help you."

Val sighed. "You're not a good liar yourself, Kim."

"Val! Shut up!" Kim cried. He completely blew it.

Missy shook her head. "There's no need to say anything, Val. You'd have to be a complete idiot not to see past that."

"Which is why I said it…" he said to Kim, being a smartass.

"Fine, I'm not a good liar!" Kim retorted. "I don't lie as often as you do, Val. So sue me."

"I'll see you in court in about two months, then."

Kim rolled her eyes. "That is so not funny…"

"Are you two done?" Uso asked angrily. "Besides, I don't want your help, I don't need your help." Judging by the look of her eyes, though, she didn't have a clue what she was doing or why. They were empty. A confused soul. But she showed no sadness or fear. "But… why don't we have a little fun…? If either one of you thinks you have what it takes to catch me, then maybe I'll tell you a few new things."

"I could care less…" Val hissed. "You mean more to me dead than alive."

She popped her knuckles just by moving her fingers around. "Don't be so sure…"

The breathing sounds suddenly returned, surrounding the area. One second it was to the right, the next it was to the left, then above, and it was completely random from there.

"Oh… that's too bad…" Missy said with a playful sigh. "Looks like the master's coming soon."

Val didn't want to wait this one out any longer. "The hell with it! This one's mine!"

Before Kim could urge him to stop, she felt the wind blow past her, sending leaves all over the place. She was forced to cover her eyes, but opening them just the slightest she could, she watched as Val sprinted through the area towards Uso. Like Kim, she also covered her face of the oncoming leaves.

Suddenly, something stood in Val's way, separating him from the girl. A dark hooded figure with glowing red eyes.

"VAL!" Kim yelled, "STOP!"

But he was already moving too fast as it was. Ron suddenly popped out of thin air and was armed with his spear. A step further and Ron was going to kill him just for even thinking of hurting the girl. Missy seemed to be pleased, gently stepping toward Ron from behind and put her hand on his neck. If not for all the leaves in the way, something about the gesture was rather… hard. And after that she slowly backed away, only to keep her distance from the bloodshed. Ron Stoppable was going to kill Valia Ryan right here and now.

"Hah…" Ryan chuckled. "How expected…"

In less than a second, Ron pulled his spear from under the cloak and spun it wildly in the air, ready to slice Ryan in half. As if predicting this, Val leapt right into the air, aiming to land past Ron. But monkey boy expected this as well, aiming the blades of his spinning spear to where Val was. A mid-air battle soon endured, with Val clashing his knife and sword with Ron's spear, only to defend himself. At least seven sparks erupted from the metal before the second moved onto the next one.

Val landed on the other side without a scratch. And realizing that Ron wasn't a shield anymore, Uso knew she was in for it.

"Shit!"

She was scared to the point where she couldn't move, unable to think and almost dropping her swords. But Ron wouldn't let Val take advantage of the moment. Without turning around, he swung the spear as fast as he could around him, the blade aimed at Val's neck. But Ryan merely crouched and let the spear fly right past him. By the time Ron cursed for missing, Uso was already on the move, leaping away and escaping into the jungle.

No longer concerned with Stoppable, he went right after the girl, with a ferocious yell that had anything living in the jungle running scared.

"You're MIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIINNNNNEEEEEEEEE!"

Ron quickly turned around and went into pursuit after the two. "Missy!"

"RON!" a voice yelled close by. "Stop right there… Your fight is with _me_."

The sound of her voice alone had him breathing heavily and angrily, atrocious even. "Kiiiiiimmmmm…"

It was just the two of them now.

"Kiiimmmmm...!" His voice was even worse than a second ago… a deep voice overdone… "You… You… caaaaammeee…"

Kim realized his condition was getting worse. "Ron, you don't know what's going on. I know what your condition is. You're possessed by mystical monkey powers gone wrong! They didn't go into your body right!"

"And you…. You're going to take them away, aren't you?" he yelled, his sudden change not being as apparent. "Just so you can be number one again!"

"Ron, I've never had a superiority complex with you!"

"You just can't stand the thought of me being better than you, isn't that right?" he growled.

"You are so blowing things out of proportion! Listen, if you don't let me help cure you, it's going to _kill_ you! Come home, Ron! You're being controlled and possessed by corrupted mystical powers! This isn't you… it's not you at all!"

"No, it's not the Ron Stoppable you're used to, the one who was endlessly ridiculed every minute of his life… by parents, people I thought were my friends, relatives, and even the one girl I thought I loved!"

"Look, we had our fights, but you make it sound like I made fun of you behind your back, which NEVER happened! Ever! And if I did, it was never intentional, and you can knock me on that one! But you're still in there, Ron. Somewhere in there you're still deep inside. Look, I know we had ups and downs in our relationship, but not all of it was your fault-"

"Damn right it wasn't!"

"But it sure wasn't all of mine, either!" Kim wasn't going to let him get to her like before. "Neither one of us can be blamed over the other, but either way, I want to help make things right!"

"If by 'right' you mean 'the way it used to be,' then kiss my ass!" the possessed one yelled. "No, this is my destiny! Fate! Don't you see? I am the chosen one, I am the one who will bring peace and balance to the world! No… why use such powers for so little things? I will live life to the fullest! I have surpassed everyone, I can destroy them! I can make this world mine! But I can't do that, not now… There's one obstacle in the way…"

"Ron, listen to yourself! I know you're in there somewhere! Listen to me!"

"You… I will never be able to live a new life without you. Until I kill you, I'm going to be trapped like this forever!"

"I'm not the reason you're trapped, Ron! It's all the mystical monkey powers! They were only meant for one but they're being shared by three! They're corrupted!"

Ron didn't seem amused. "Shared? Hah! After I'm done with you, I'll kill the other two! The powers will be mine, mine, MINE!"

About to make a move, Kim dove aside. However, he didn't attack. Instead he grabbed his cloak with his available hand and pulled it off, doing it so fast that the leaves went flying, and the cloak with them. And now Kim had to witness all of the hair on his face, which had grown so much more in the last few days. But what also saw started to intimidate her. Ron was no longer wearing the robe he had back in Kowloon. It was clear he was dead serious on fighting her.

He was wearing his battle suit, the red and black ninja-like uniform Killbourne designed for him a long time ago. As if she weren't in enough trouble already…

But still, her fear didn't show in her eyes. "Not if I have anything to do with it," she said with a defiant look on her face.

Ron laughed at her. "You? Hah! What can _you _do? You can't change the future, Kim. It's… fate… I won't allow you to change my destiny, my future! No… I won't allow it! You were stupid to come here! You will die here! And once I'm done dragging your corpse through this jungle, I'll find the other two and kill them as well! You'll all make fine decorations for my future castles…"

"Too much information Ron, and it's so not going to happen!"

"Oh, but it is!" he cried excitedly, "Now that I have unspeakable powers, they will fall like dominoes… Fist and the mole rat…"

Kim had to ask it. "Ron… where exactly is Rufus?"

"Oh, he's still alive… he's somewhere, but why ask? This is a fight between just the two of us alone! So sorry you never were able to say goodbye, but that's life. It sucks. But once I finish you and them, and once Missy's done with Val, there will be no one to stand in my way! You won't be around to witness the birth of a new age of power!"

Suddenly, Ron disappeared and leaves went flying. Expecting some kind of attack, Kim leapt out of the way. But instead of being attacked (again), she found Ron standing on a tree branch high above her.

"But first… I will kill you!" he yelled from high above.

Kim rolled her eyes. "Like you haven't said that more than enough times already…"

He didn't hear her through his laughter. "How do you expect to survive, Kim? Surely you're not stupid enough to even consider _fighting_ me!"

And just to show off his moves, Ron showed her what he could do with his spear. He first spun it around in front of him like a staff, just as fast as helicopter blades. Then, he spun it around his body, moving from side to side so fast that even Kim had a hard time seeing it. But that wasn't the best part.

He was actually doing it without his hands even being on the darn thing. He was only using his wrists to balance it.

Then he was done. "Impressed?"

Judging by the look of Kim's eyes, not really. "Cut the drama, Ron. You're coming home. This needs to end now."

"I couldn't have said it better myself… Let's end this!"

Suddenly, he was in front of her again, readying himself in a fighting stance.

"You're not afraid?" Ron asked, bemused.

Kim didn't answer him, at least not immediately. "I am so ready for you, Ron."

After spinning the spear around several times again, the conversation finally came to an end.

"Before, I was but the learner! But now, I am not just a master! I am the ultimate! I am… a GOD!" Ron yelled. "In sickness and in health, till death do us part! Now I will finally be free of you!"

He tightened his grip on his spear, and Kim got into a defensive fighting stance.

"DIE!"

It was on. The fate of the world rested in her hands, along with their own.

But they weren't alone…


	20. 19: Painful Tears of Sorrow and Madness

Three notes yet again:  
1) If I'm wrong about some things research-wise, and you'll probably know what it is, PLEASE correct me!  
2) Longest chapter I've written for any story for obvious reasons. Sorry if it feels slow, but no cliffhangers!  
3) Brace yourself. This is an _extremely_ violent chapter with discomforting moments ahead. Changing the rating higher is a thought, but overall most of the story isn't that bad, so we're just tipping it, I think. That said, trust me, read the whole way through, but don't say I didn't warn you.

**Chapter 19: The Painful Tears of Sorrow and Madness**

**

* * *

**

'_I'm not scared anymore,'_ she told herself. Finally, after all this time, it was one on one. Kim Possible and Ron Stoppable. _'I'm ready,'_ she thought to herself.

True thoughts or motivational thoughts to hide fear? Perhaps both. At first, she was scared, fearing that Ron would probably kill Val right in front of her, but fortunately such a thing didn't occur. But once he had his sights set on Ryan and Uso, almost ignoring the girl who had been searching for him nonstop the last half-year or so, a lot of her confidence had just come back. She kept her cool as usual, but there was no need to later on. When it finally came to the vocal confrontation, everything Ron had said… wasn't that original, especially compared to the kinds of people she fought long before Ron became a threat. Just how many times in her life did she hear people say they were going to destroy her, that they were the ultimate fighters, that they were going to rule the world, yadda yadda? Even though she tried to get through to Ron, she found herself bored by most of his threats.

Can one really be afraid when they're bored out of their mind?

Either way, fear didn't have a place here. Ready or not, Kim's destiny lay in front of her, and she had to conquer it. Failure wasn't an option.

"So… are you going to make a move…?" Ron asked, "Or do you just want me to kill you here and now?"

Kim just stood before him without saying a word or moving a muscle. She wasn't stupid. You wouldn't make the first move if you knew anything about fighting, and against someone as powerful as Ron? No doubt he would grab the oncoming limb and snap it in half or dislocate it, or any other bone in the body. No, she waited for him to make the first move. Could she use that opening against him?

In the silence, it started to rain. In only a matter of seconds the rainfall became heavy.

"Fine…" Ron snarled impatiently. "Brace yourself!"

Before Kim knew it, she was knocked far away with her face in the mud and covered almost entirely in broken wood.

In only a matter of seconds, Ron had rushed towards her, nose to nose instantaneously, and kicked his opponent with a sharp kick to the chin. It was strong enough to knock Kim up off her feet, and with Ron's leg nearly parallel to the rest of his body, the same foot came right back to the ground, catching Kim and knocking her straight into the dirt. She went in so fast that her body 'bounced' right back up, high enough for Ron to grab her from the neck. He spun his body as he held her, then released her and delivered a fierce kick to her chest. During all of this, the only thing Kim was seeing were flashes of the sky, the jungle, and the mud. Without even knowing it, she crossed her arms in front of her, attempting to block out any punches or kicks. She only managed to block out the kick, but the impact was so strong that sent her flying through the jungle, crashing through not one, not two, but _five_ trees, completely demolishing them on impact.

Ron laughed maniacally as Kim tried to pick herself up. Everything happened so quickly that she actually didn't feel as much pain as she expected, now that she saw the destruction she left behind. It was like a demolition ball had gone through the jungle.

She quickly looked toward the source of the maniacal laughing, but Ron was nowhere to be seen. Looking to the sides, she saw nothing. That just spelled trouble. Instinctively, the first thought that came to mind was getting out of the way. So, she leapt toward the trees she destroyed.

And good thing she did. Ron had made his way behind her on a high tree, and came crashing down where she was at the second she jumped. Mud was sent flying as high as the trees with the collision. Since he was still in one place, Kim took her chance. She ran toward the muddy explosion as fast as she could to tackle him.

Instead, she ran into nothing, and was grabbed by the back of her shirt and slammed into the ground. By the time she opened her eyes, the jaws of Ron's double-bladed spear were coming down on her. She couldn't move, either - he had her pinned with his foot.

He yelled angrily when the spear refused to stab his opponent. Kim grabbed the blades with her feet, trying to throw it sideways. Just the force Ron was putting on them had her sweating even more, and she couldn't keep it away for long. Sometimes Kim found the blade less than an inch away from her belly button, and sometimes she had it so far that she could've escaped, only for the former to occur. She didn't stay in one position either. Even though she was pinned, her hands were available, and she tried to grab whatever she could to get out of the bind.

Finally, she lost the contest and several things flew in the air. Not of blood, but dirt, mud and grass. Ron quickly pulled out the spear from the ground, and by then Kim was already back on her feet, far away. But when she landed, he leapt high into the air. Kim kept her eyes on him as he quickly leapt from tree to tree, near and far, left to right, ahead and behind. Thankfully a black and red ninja suit stood out in this kind of place, so she didn't lose sight of him. Finally, realizing he wasn't getting into a blind spot, Ron jumped off a tree, holding the handle of his spear like an axe. Not hard to guess where the blades were aimed at.

Kim simply sidestepped backward as the blade struck the ground, sending all kinds of debris into the air again. Not allowing it to blind her, she ran on the actual spear itself, hoping to deliver a hard kick to Ron's face. Even though he was somewhere inside, his appearance made things a little easier for her to attack him. Same went for his voice, sounding nothing like him.

Seeing Kim's foot fly at him, he did exactly what she did: sidestep. Remember all those times when Lucy pulled the football away? The momentum of Kim's kick sent her flying in the air no different than Charlie Brown, "ARGH!" included. But she didn't land on her back. Instead, Ron managed to strike her gut with a backhand fist and elbow as she came falling down. She was sent flying into the deep depths of the jungle, destroying two more trees in her flight.

Fortunately for Kim, she landed in an area with a lot of plants. Perfect. Camouflage wasn't going to work in an open area, but in a place where plants were all over the place and trees were closer to each other, she could blend in just like a chameleon, no exaggeration there.

"Hey!" she could hear, "Where did you go? Come back here and fight!"

She kept herself low and buried herself underneath the plants. Since she was covered in camo from head to toe, you couldn't see her unless you were really, really, _really_ looking for her. Unfortunately, that's exactly what Ron was doing.

"You can't run, and you can't hide, either! Show yourself!"

For now, the plan was to stay low, keep quiet, and just use every ounce of hope and pray real hard that he didn't find her.

And with the look of things, he was going to real soon… Without knowing it, he was walking towards her, keeping his spear leveled and looking around. Even if his focus was on the trees high above, Kim just couldn't move. It would easily give away her position, but she didn't have much of a choice…

"Kiiiiiiiiim… I can feeeeeeel yooooou..."

He didn't see her, but he was getting closer and closer.

"Kim…" a different voice said, "h… help me…" It wasn't his possessed one. It was the voice of the original normal Ron.

No. It was clearly an act to get her to come out. There was no other human being on earth who could read Ron Stoppable than Kim Possible. She knew when he was faking things. Then again, it was kind of obvious. He acted a little too hard to sound sad and trapped.

He didn't stop approaching, and it wasn't going to be long before he saw her. Then she got an idea. As fast as she could without letting herself be seen, Kim moved only her arm to grab anything she could from the ground. Mud… mud… mud… rock. And only by moving her hand, she threw it as far as she could. The ruffle would send Ron in that direction, thinking it was her. A perfect distraction.

The rock instead hit a tree not too far from her.

"HAH!" Ron yelled. "I SEE YOU!"

Without looking, Kim quickly rolled aside to avoid Ron's oncoming attack, got up and tried to get as far as she could.

One big problem though.

He _didn't_ attack. When she got up, she found him just standing there gazing into her eyes. He just stood there waiting for her to make her move. You could be covered in head to toe in camo, but moving around still makes you stand out.

"Idiot! You completely fell for it!"

Again, he jumped at her hell-bent on killing her. Kim ran away as fast as she could through the jungle, never in the same direction for more than a few seconds. Ron was in hot pursuit, leaping from tree to tree and destroying anything that stood in his way, laughing maniacally the entire time. Finally, fewer trees filled the area, and Ron chose to run on foot after Kim. But no matter where she turned, it didn't change the fact that he was running four times as fast as she was, and she was giving it her best as it was. There was nothing to slow her down, and he was quickly catching up.

Suddenly, she slipped in the mud. Great… just great.

No, literally. Just as her foot went flying backward, a huge chunk of mud also went flying into the air, smacking Ron straight in the face. It not only blinded him, but it knocked him down as well. It gave his target the chance to get away in an area that was easy to hide in. She wasn't up for all the hiding, but with the way her opponent was pursuing her, she didn't have much of a choice. She found a spot behind a tree where the grass was just as tall as she was. It also helped that there were orange and red plants there, too.

Ron was having a hard time getting the mud out. It's bad enough to have it blinding you, but he had so much hair on his face, all soaked from the rain. It was like cleaning a dog covered in dirt.

Kim could have gone in to attack, but with her luck so far, a hand-to-hand duel was out of the question. But she didn't come into this fight empty-handed. Even though Val had given her a tranquilizer gun, she also brought a few of her trademark weapons in her utility belt, those that would incapacitate Ron without hurting him. She only had a few to chose from: Her knockout gas disguised as lip gloss, flash and smoke grenades, and a handkerchief stained with a sedative. Not a lot, unfortunately.

Right now close range was too dangerous to use the gloss and hanky. Ron would be able to sense her even if he was blind, and it was likely he'd hear the grenades if Kim threw them, even with the rain hiding most of the noise. But he was still pulling the mud from his eyes.

Wait it out or take the chance?

"Dammit!" he yelled, struggling with the mud. No matter how much he tried to get off, it wasn't enough. In his attempts to shake it off his hands, he got more on his face, too.

Kim was about to make her move, but Ron shook his head like an animal and traces of mud were sent flying everywhere, no longer blind. He became even more infuriated that Kim was nowhere to be seen. Good thing she retreated back behind the tree.

Ron let out a loud enraged yell. "COME OUT HERE AND FIGHT!"

Not even bothering to seek her out, Ron pulled out his spear and started spinning fast, extending the weapon so that it was spinning like a lawnmower. But he was spinning at such an intense speed that he actually started to levitate, and able to move in any direction at will, he spun toward the closest trees and cut them down. Once the destruction was over, he stopped, not suffering any dizziness whatsoever. But Kim wasn't behind any of them, and he grew even more furious.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"

Again, he was forced to search. Kim was hidden behind a tree the entire time, but wasn't as close as Ron thought she was. But she had enough of the hiding as well, since it wasn't working, either. She had to think of something, but it all came down to her knockout and sleep weapons. But as she thought before, she had to find a way to get them near Ron without alerting him.

Of course. She had to trap him. Get far away as possible so that she wasn't in the immediate area, and attack stealthy. She wasn't up for the idea of already using knockout and sleep weapons, but at this rate the fight would last until nightfall. Even though there was no sun with this storm, rain at night was far worse. That is, if she lasted that long. If she didn't take him out soon, he'd get her instead. But getting away… that's what she had to do. Fortunately, she had a weapon that just would do just the thing for her.

Suddenly, she heard a nearby noise and pressed herself against the tree, staying as quiet as she could.

Ron's muddy footsteps and deep breathing. He was just on the other side of the tree. Trying to suck in her breath, or breathe as slowly as she could, things just got silent. She couldn't hear the rain. Just her heartbeat.

* * *

Elsewhere in the jungle, the sounds of mud being stomped on, gunshots and thunder filled the area. 

"DON'T LET HER GET AWAY!"

She leapt from tree to tree, leaping high into the air with each jump. The instant her foot left the tree, a bullet found its way in it.

"She's too fast!"

One out of the six trespassers led the way, refusing to let the girl escape his sight. She was high above them and constantly switched direction on them. Her pursuers tried their best to keep up, but they couldn't catch up to the girl. It's difficult to pursue someone on foot with the environment getting in the way, from rocks, twigs, trees, rock and the mud, but it was worse when you were chasing someone who never touched the ground.

"What is she?" one of them asked.

"It's that damn ninja!" the leader cried, "Don't let her escape your sight! If she's around then that means Possible is, too!"

They all fired all kinds of guns. Assault rifles, handguns and sniper rifles, all equipped with silencers. They didn't carry explosives this time around, fearing authorities might get in the way again. But no matter what, she couldn't be stopped. Even when one of them claimed to have shot her, she just moved on like nothing happened.

The leader let out an enraged yell as he threw an empty clip away and put in a new one. "I HATE NINJAS!"

One of the others chuckled. "Girls running away from you. I think you'd be used to that by now, Commander Sean!"

"SHUT UP, VEREN!" Sean screamed. "If we weren't chasing a ninja I'd kick your ass!"

"This is hopeless!" Ren cried. "We'll never catch her!"

"We don't need to!" Sean yelled as he leapt over a fallen branch. "We just need to get close enough, that's all!"

But the ninja they were chasing, Yori, wouldn't let up. She was careful to stay as far away as she could without escaping their visual range. The rain didn't help either of them.

This was going nowhere for Sean. "Oh, the hell with it! I'm using it!"

'It' just happened to be a codename for another prototype weapon he gladly took for himself. An extremely lightweight weapon, one about the size of a rocket launcher. The latter didn't remain, for when he flipped a switch, the gun opened up to a much bigger size without getting an ounce heavier. It was a modified sonic cannon of sorts, one that required charging. Sean and his boys continued the chase, the leader making sure he never lost sight of the girl. Then, when the gun was ready and there was nothing he could trip over, he had Yori in the gun's sight.

"I'm taking the shot!"

Lest and Veren, the only two ahead of him, stopped running just enough so he could pass them.

'_OBJECT OUT OF RANGE'_, it read. Sean continued to run as fast as he could as Yori landed on another tree. Finally, the words _'LOCKED' _appeared in his sights.

"FIRE!"

As if some kind of nuclear explosion had gone off, the weapon emitted a blinding laser beam that sent leaves and dirt flying everywhere, blinding all of the boys and sending them flying back, some into trees. But it lasted for only a second, as they all witnessed the huge laser beam make its way toward Yori. She turned around quickly to see it, and leapt a far distance so it wouldn't get near her. It demolished the tree she had just been on.

But all wasn't well. She was shocked to find that the laser was still coming at her, even though she leapt perpendicular to its oncoming angle.

Then she realized; this wasn't just a huge laser beam coming her way. It was a homing laser. Upon learning this, she leapt onto another tree, and after destroying another tree, the laser chased her.

"Come on!" Sean yelled. "I'm not going to miss this and neither are any of you!"

So, they chased after them. Yori continued to leap from tree to tree, going in all kinds of directions, but the laser continued to follow her and completely destroy anything that stood in its path. No matter where she went, she couldn't shake it, and it was getting faster. It wasn't going to be long before she was going to be struck by it, and if the demolished trees were any indication of what was coming to her, she was in trouble.

"Come on…" Sean snarled, "Come on…"

It was getting closer to her. She could have easily deflected the bullets with a sword if it was necessary, but those were small. This thing happened to be four times her size, and she just couldn't shake it no matter how close or far she got from it. She had an idea, but needed a different weapon.

As she made a final jump off another tree, the laser suddenly slowed down.

"Commander?"

"Just watch…"

Hearing them, Yori anticipated the worst. The laser starting spinning in circles, as if it were confused and lost her. It wasn't chasing her anymore. Just as the laser looked like it came to a stop, it shot back at her at an incredible speed, past Mach speed. And she was still a ways from landing on another tree.

And Sean was treated to a sight he just couldn't stomach in, or any of his boys for that matter. Within milliseconds of the laser hitting her, she pulled out her metal fan blades. Gracefully spinning her body so that she was facing the laser, she also struck the tip of it with her fans in an effort to deflect it. It didn't 'deflect', though.

Instead, the entire laser beam shattered like glass, temporarily illuminating the trees and leaves in a beautiful blue glow, until what was left of the laser particles disintegrated in the rain.

"Wh… What?" Sean couldn't believe it, and the others were speechless.

Yori had finally landed on the mud without a scratch, holding the fan blade to her face, challenging the boys to come on.

Sean was enraged by what he considered a mockery. "Aw, forget Possible! This one's dead! Get her!" Like him, it took the other five a couple of seconds to get their act together and continue to pursue Yori.

Hearing them and ready to run off again, the girl had a satisfied look on her face. "Good… Now _I'm_ their focus…"

The chase continued. She lead the boys deeper into the jungle away from Kim and Ron.

* * *

Kim was getting tense. She had herself pressed against the tree for the last eight or so minutes, and the sounds made by Ron refused to cease. He was on the other side of the tree the entire time, but Kim couldn't make out what he was doing. Sometimes he would breathe loudly, other times he wouldn't. He would observe the tree by walking near its sides, and sometimes he touched it. There were other times where he walked away from it, but he was still too close for Kim to run away without being heard or seen. She had to get away without Ron being in immediate pursuit. Even though she couldn't move her head, she could still observe her surroundings by moving her eyes. There weren't any trails in front of her, so if she escaped this way, it'd be harder to move with all the plants and rocky terrain, but she'd be a lot harder to find. 

Thankfully, she had one less thing to worry about, but as soon as that occurred, another thing popped up. Good news: the coral snake had gone away. Bad news: Things started fogging up in the area she was at, making it much more difficult to see in a place that already had poor visibility in the first place.

She just had to wait for Ron to get far enough, use the device she pulled out from her pocket, and run for it.

But he was just too close.

All of a sudden, the tree was completely smashed to smithereens, knocking Kim straight into the ground. She was met with a rainfall of splinters as she pulled her face from the mud, and when it was all over, she found Ron standing behind where the tree used to be, two fingers and his left arm extended. He completely destroyed the tree with just two fingers…

He groaned loudly in his firm position. "Pathetic… You can't hide in a jungle, Kim. Silence and camo can mean so much to elude sight and sound, but you're forgetting one important sense…"

Though Kim had her eyes on him the whole time, she was slowly crawling backward. Behind her back, she pulled out some kind of grenade from her belt, one that had a detonator in place of a pin, and buried it in the ground. Moving back, she separated the detonator from the grenade. Ron didn't seem to notice.

"And what would that be?" she asked, getting onto her feet.

Ron jumped over what was left of the tree, advancing towards Kim with a disappointed smile on his face. "Smell… if you're trying to blend in with the scents of the jungle, you don't apply _body soap, shampoo, face cream _and_ deodorant_, Kim…"

Kim slapped her forehead. She couldn't believe she got careless with her scent. But then again, she couldn't recall a lot of stealth operations where she had to blend in with the environment so much that she had to pretty much had to become it. Usually just her black shirt and cargo pants combo got the job done.

But something really hurt when she hit her head. She looked what she had in her hand, only to find the detonator, pressed. Not only that, but Ron noticed he stepped on something hard. Kim turned away and started running, and Ron had already started to engage her in hot pursuit.

But the grenade had gone off. The entire area was immediately engulfed in nothing but blinding white light, as opposed to lethal shrapnel. Kim had planned out her escape so she knew where to move, and since she looked away from the flash, she could still see, but barely. Ron on the other hand was right on top of the grenade when it went off, and the impact of the light hit him so hard that it knocked him straight to the ground. He tried everything to see again, closing and opening his eyes repeatedly, trying to swat away the light, but he couldn't see. He tried to move, but with no idea where anything was, he wound up tripping over a rock. Getting back on his feet, he walked into a tree, which he sliced in half. He wound up tripping over what he just cut.

"SON OF A BITCH!"

The blindness would would wear off, but it gave Kim the opening she needed to escape. She could have attacked, but it wouldn't be hard for Ron to hear her and every movement she made. So she ran off deep into the jungle. But it didn't occur to him what she was doing. Before she arrived, he was the one waiting for her, and just when the moment was right, he made his move.

This time, it was her turn.

* * *

Not good. 

She kept leaping from tree to tree, trying to look for them. Despite being far and high above the trees, she could have sworn that she kept close enough to stay within their visual range.

But she couldn't see them. Sean and his boys were gone. Fearing that they might have caught onto her diversion and had gone back to hunt for Kim, and after she went from place to place seeking them all out, not finding a trace, Yori decided to venture on foot. They couldn't have gone far, but she didn't want to waste any time. The more time she wasted, the more time they were given to find Kim. So now the tables had turned, and she was in pursuit of them. But she couldn't find any footprints or anything, and things were getting a bit foggy here as well.

The next thing she knew, she deflected a bullet with her sword, hearing the gunshot and reacting almost instantaneously. But… something felt different in her right leg, something she never felt before. She slowly looked down to see what it was.

Her leg was stained red. Immediately then, blood quickly spurt out of it, and she cried in intense pain as she fell to the ground. She dropped her sword, but when she tried to grab it, both of her arms suffered the same fate as her leg. But she didn't give up. Though she had never suffered this kind of physical pain, she struggled to crawl and grab her weapon. The next thing she knew, it was kicked away. Looking up with blood starting to trail from her mouth, she saw a blond male with two handguns.

"I have to say, I was rather impressed that just with a sword you were able to deflect a bullet from a gun. But could you deflect two bullets fired at once, aimed at different places on your body? I didn't think so."

He was more than glad to fire at Yori's last limb, a bullet for each now. Even though the last shot knocked her back, she still tried to move.

"Oh no you don't!" Sean yelled, "You're staying right there!"

And he made sure she stayed there - by diving at her and jabbing a knife straight through her stomach. She no longer moved, with tears in her eyes and the rain wiping them off her face and washing it from her suit, staining the mud red. Yori couldn't believe it. She failed.

And Sean chuckled. It soon turned into laughter as he aimed one of his guns right on Yori's head, and even she could see the laser sight on her. Sean's boys soon emerged from the woods, showing the exact opposite reaction he had. They showed pity, sadness, and downright discomfort. They may have been trained to kill, but seeing a bloody and attractive girl in the mud seconds away from death had them reconsidering their careers. But Sean was proud.

"See?" he asked, "I told you ninjas weren't all that."

"I'm… sorry… Kim-san…" Yori said weakly, seeing the bullet at the end of the barrel of the gun. "I… failed you…"

The fingers couldn't watch a second longer as Sean cocked the gun, staring at his fallen prey with a psychotic look on his eyes. "You know, I truly hoped it wouldn't come to this. I mean, really. Seeing such a beautiful woman covered almost entirely in her blood… it's quite tragic, really. To be honest, I don't kill girls. Maybe I started with Possible, but I didn't really intend to send you to your maker, whatever that is, I don't care. I might have considering sparing your life… but… I just can't stand innocent types like you… No guts, no drive, not willing to take life to the limits…" Finally, he was ready to end it. "Any last words before meeting the afterlife?"

Yori didn't have the strength to support her head, but a look of severe pain turned into a stubborn one. "You can't kill what's not alive…"

Sean looked confused. "What's that supposed to mean?"

But Yori didn't answer him.

"Screw it…" he said.

And with that, he pulled the trigger. He had it aimed where he wanted, the clip was full, and it got Yori right where he wanted. Her forehead. The others looked completely disgusted, unable to stomach what they had just seen. Sean on the other hand didn't feel that he was done. No. He wanted more.

"Wh… What are you doing?" Lest asked him, shaky in his voice.

Sean walked over to Yori's sword, grabbed it, and held the blade so that the tip was over her heart. "Gotta confirm the kill," he said calmly.

"But she's already dead!" Veren yelled.

"You shot her in the fucking head!" Ren cried.

"Just leave it at that!" Sven shouted.

"Meh," was Sean had to say.

And with that, he thrusted the sword through the girl's body, like a stake into Dracula's heart. However, he was instantly confused with what happened next.

Yori completely vanished, leaving traces of an ominous spiritual blue smoke, one that was glowing but faded away in time.

Sean thought it might have been something ninjas did to themselves when they died, something to make their departure from the living world more dramatic or something. But it soon came to him that along with her body, the sword and the blood had disappeared as well. He was perplexed to instead see a piece of rice paper floating before his eyes, shaped like a female doll of sorts with Japanese kanji written all over it.

"Wait a minute…" he said skeptically as he grabbed the mysterious object, "W… What is this?"

The last of the fingers, Aeren, came up behind him, taking the soaked object away. A look of sickness and grief quickly turned to one of excitement. "No way… It can't be…"

"What?" Sean asked.

"I didn't think such a thing actually existed…"

"What?"

"This is incredible…"

"WHAT?" Sean barked in his ear.

Aeren gave him an annoyed look, but just briefly. "O-fuda… wow. She is good…"

"Okay, what the hell is a Tofu… Food… whatever it is?" Sean apparently had little to no knowledge in Japanese culture.

"Well, at least according to some of the books and research I used to do on Japanese mythology and folklore… there's a lot to explain about this. Warding off demons, purification, magic…"

"Spare me the culture lesson and get to the point," Sean demanded.

Aeren was glad to explain, not intimidated by his leader's anger. "In this case, it was used as magic. Imagine if you will creating a talisman with rice paper and having it do whatever you want. In combat situations, it could be used as a weapon or something to manipulate your opponent. I don't know how, but the girl somehow found a way to make a spirit of some sort, one that would capture the identity of her, the one who made it. Not a single difference between the fake and the original. Appearance, skills, movements, voice… all with a piece of rice paper, you could bless weapons or even create illusions to throw off your enemy. You could even create a copy of yourself…"

"Wait…" Sean interrupted with a shocked but infuriated tone, "Let me see if I've got this… You mean… this entire time… we… have been chasing… A DECOY?" That did anything but make his day.

"Pretty much," a mellow Aeren answered.

"This isn't her?" Sean asked, pointing his gun to where the body of 'Yori' was once laying.

"Nope."

"She was never there the entire time?"

"Neh-eh."

"We were chasing a piece of paper disguised as the girl the whole time? The WHOLE TIME?"

"That's one way of putting it."

"GAH! How the hell did she do that?"

"I have no idea. I thought these could only be made by priests and priestesses… And I thought stuff like this was just a part of Japanese myth."

"Wait, if that thing had the exact same skills," Sean interrupted, "then that means I still outsmarted a ninja and I'm capable of killing one!"

Aeren didn't agree. "Eeeeeeeehhhh… I'm betting the decoy went easy on you. I bet if we were chasing the real ninja she'd be in Atlanta by now."

Sean let out an enraged yell that echoed through the jungle and the storm. "Then where the hell is she really at? She's just toying with us, so she can't be far! FIND HER!"

It didn't seem necessary. Behind them, a loud whistling noise could be heard, definitely intended to catch their attention. Sean quickly turned around and fired his guns at the noise, but the sounds that echoed the jungle were nothing but desperate clicks. They all found Yori, completely unharmed, standing on a tree branch far away. She was waving to them, both a polite gesture and at the same time saying _'Come and get me'_. After she got their attention, she fled again no different than her decoy. Unknownst to Sean, all five of his boys looked relieved to see that she was alive and unhurt.

He on the other hand just snapped. "GET HER!" he yelled, running toward the stranger in the trees. "No woman even dares to trick Sean Hanteren and lives to tell about it! I don't care how it's done, I want her corpse or at least a part of it!"

The other boys just shrugged, letting out frustrated sighs. They had no choice but to listen to him. So, the pursuit continued as Sean ran after Yori, who was completely unharmed.

But none of them were aware that they were all being watched by another. She just sat high on a tree branch with crossed legs, moving them back and forth. She held eight more o-fuda in her hand, and witnessing what just happened, she let out a sigh that sounded both amused and disappointed.

He fell for it again. She could do this all day.

* * *

"Heh… Hah… Hahah… Hehahahahheh… muahahah… hah… HAAHAHAHAHAHAHAH… Oh… Kim… you clever girl you…" 

Ron had been trying to chase Kim for the last several minutes, but he was pleasantly surprised to find that the girl left not a trace. There was a point in where Kim left behind a trail of footprints, but abruptly ended right next to where some mud had been dug out, in which he concluded Kim actually covered herself in mud to hide her scent. He was impressed, but he couldn't sniff it out. But she was already well ahead of him by the time the blindness wore off from the grenade, but his instincts told him to move in a certain direction, and he stopped when he felt her presence again. He seemed thrilled to find Kim's new hiding place.

It was probably the most scenic area for miles. Several trees and plants like before, thick and light, but there were also many hills and rocks in the region. Kim had an advantage she didn't have before in hiding: elevation. It was one thing if she was behind a tree or deep inside the grass, but now it was whether how high or low she was. Was she on the edge of a rock high above, or was she on the lowest part of the ground? Perhaps in-between? Not only that, but he couldn't just listen for her. The jungle ambience was almost completely blocked out by a small waterfall and river. There was lots to explore in this region.

Kim could be anywhere, just waiting for him to make that one wrong move. And he gladly welcomed the challenge.

With his spear's blades leveled right on the grass, he quickly crept through the area, keeping his eyes peeled for anything that moved. Unfortunately for him, it was hard to see anything ahead because of the mist of the river and waterfall. It got worse with the heavier rainfall, almost instantly washing out his footprints. Quickly growing frustrated he leapt onto a high tree, doing all kinds of flips and aerobics to get from branch to branch. The bird's eye view proved useless, having even worse visibility than on the ground. Too much rain, mist and fog. He had to seek her out by foot. So he jumped down at least sixty feet from the tree, and he was walking the same second he landed.

He continued to wander, getting distracted by the smallest noises, usually those of insects and animals, who fled the very sight of him. He felt nothing as he hunted for Kim. No fear, no tension, no stress, because to him, if he found her, she was already dead. He took pleasure in seeking her out. He studied every tree to see if she was behind one, big and small, but nothing.

Suddenly, he heard a loud noise coming from one of the bigger trees behind him. It took him less than a second to realize that it was about to fall on him, and then he heard another noise near his foot. He attempted to jump out of the way, only to land on his face, and losing grip of his weapon. Ron found some kind of cord wrapped tight around his leg and one of the tree's roots. He struggled to untie it and free himself, but his efforts were in vain. He couldn't reach his spear, and by the time he tried to untie the cord again, the tree crashed down on him.

Nothing but the sound of water filled the area for the next couple of minutes. But wherever Kim was, she didn't make a move.

Just then, the tree exploded into oblivion, sending a rainfall of splinters through the area. Ron leapt high out of the debris and landed only a few feet away, letting out a maniacal battle cry with the cord in his hand. Unharmed, unscathed, without a scratch; the tree did nothing to him.

"I won't die, Kim! Not as long as you still live!"

He pulled his spear out of the mud and darted off to his left. He ran everywhere he could think of and constantly thrusted his spear into every place he thought Kim was hiding. Behind every tree and rock, at the edges of the small cliffs and plateaus, and even behind the waterfall. But he spilled no blood. Anyone would have wondered if Kim really was around here, but Ron knew that she was. The trap she laid earlier hadn't been waiting there. She attacked from somewhere closeby right there and then. Besides, that feeling of sensing her didn't cease.

But he was growing impatient already. "SHOW YOURSELF!"

"What's wrong, Ron? Not having fun anymore?"

Ron quickly turned around to find Kim standing several feet in front of him, across the river. Just as he thought, she had covered herself in mud, but he never expected for her hair to be covered in it, too. Small plants and leaves were sticking out all over her body, and there were a couple of tiny harmless insects as well. She was actually pretty difficult to see, especially with the mist of the waterfall and fog.

Ron had to say he was surprised, though. "I actually didn't think that was going to work…" saying _'show yourself'_ and having the other one actually do that. That was like telling a bank robber to stop running just to see him actually do it. "I suppose I've greatly underestimated you, my dear Kimberly… I didn't think you'd be stupid enough to reveal yourself. You can't beat me. What's the point?"

Kim crossed her arms, making it much more obvious to see her for a second. "Just because I can't fight you doesn't mean I can't outsmart you. I'm going to ask you one more time, Ron. Stop this and just come home. You're going to die with those powers warping your mind and body!"

Ron started spinning his spear by balancing it all on the tip of one finger. "Are you serious? Who are you to ask such a question? Do you even realize who's winning the fight? I've thrown you through several trees and nearly killed you with one, and all you've managed to do is get the drop on me once. It's going to take a lot more than just heavy weight to take me down!"

"I'll find a way."

"You were better off hiding!"

Kim shook her head. "I'm done hiding, Ron."

Ron tightened his grip on his spear. "And you're done living, too!"

He sprinted across the water and swung his spear all over the place with every intention of killing Kim. It spun in endless circles around his arms and legs, not holding it once with his hands. Instead, he advanced toward her using his hands as feet, not differently than an animal we're all familiar with, all while the spear tore the rain apart. Kim kept her distance, just waiting for Ron to show off too much and make that one mistake. He couldn't see it, but in her hand was her lip gloss knockout gas.

Ron was more concerned with making a kill in style, and he did leave himself open. Kim took the chance, but he threatened her by thrusting the palm of his hand at her, one that was guaranteed to break a few ribs and probably some internal organs. Thankfully she didn't enter his reaching range, but that didn't mean she was unhurt. Just the force of the blow created a shockwave that knocked anything within four feet of his hand away. Leaves, mud, trees, even the water of the river. It was enough to send Kim flying into the river.

"Come on!" he challenged. "Are you just going to stand back all day?"

Kim quickly got out of the water, a shin's length at best, and jumped onto the opposite side. Ron was quickly in pursuit. They went through the entire area, rock for rock and tree for tree. Ron was just spinning too fast with his spear, and it was never constant in its movement. With the speed he was going, if you got two feet near him, you'd suddenly have your body sliced apart without even feeling the blade. It tore through the grass and sent small rocks flying everywhere, but nothing could stop him.

Not unless you had a blinding weapon of sorts. Equipped with another flash grenade, Kim dropped it on the ground and hit the detonator after covering her eyes. Ron noticed it just before Kim hit the detonator, and again the area was engulfed in a white flash. Kim took her hands off her eyes, only to find that Ron was completely unaffected. He closed his eyes and covered them with his arm as a precaution, and only laughed at her.

"Nice try, Kim!"

He continued to chase her, but much more ferociously this time. He spun the blade even faster, so fast that it looked like each wave was attempting to slice the sky apart. He also moved so much faster to the point where Kim had to resort _entirely_ on her aerobics to escape him. She leapt from tree to tree, so light that even the weak ones didn't move, but Ron mimicked her every move, almost knocking them down just with his toes. She retreated toward the waterfall, and Ron swung the spear so fast and hard that it actually tore the waterfall in two.

They found themselves on each side of the river over and over. When Kim leapt in the air again, Ron suddenly stopped, leaving her wide open. She couldn't stop herself or move aside in mid-air. Just as her feet hit the ground, Ron yelled and slammed his foot to the mud. Out of nowhere, a huge rock instantly rose from the ground, so far that it knocked Kim straight into a huge boulder. A little more force and she would have destroyed it, but instead she bounced off of it and couldn't hold back a painful cry.

Not only was her spine nearly snapped in two, not only was she exhausted, but her right arm was dislocated or broken. It was too much pain to move, but she managed to keep on one knee.

Ron laughed proudly as he walked towards her and destroyed the rock that rose from the ground, simply by slapping it away. "Congratulations, Kimberly Anne Possible. You just wasted a whole lot of time accomplishing absolutely nothing. I guess Missy was right. Ever since I walked out the door everything's gone downhill for you. You haven't been at the top of your game, you've had so much trouble in helping people that they've stopped calling just so you wouldn't die out there. And even when you were inches away from the reaper's scythe, Valia felt so bad for you that he had save your ass. You can't even think as strategically as you could before, making mistakes in just about everything you do."

Kim tried to stand up, but her back hurt so much. "I… I know that… Do you… know why?"

"I'm quite aware. Mushy mushy love bullcrap. 'I can't live without you!' Hah… But if you knew, why on earth did you even consider showing yourself? You know you can't step foot near me. I can punch you in the head and chunks of your skull would be flying everywhere. I can break your nose just by flicking it. I can snap your arms and legs with just two fingers. You can't do a thing to scratch me, Kim."

He wasn't exaggerating, actually.

"You want to know something?" He pulled up his spear so Kim could see it. "This is the third spear I made." He then dropped it to the ground, and just the weight alone had mud flying in the air, leaving a deep engraving on the ground. "This thing weighs over three hundred pounds, just by the blades alone. They can cut through anything, from jewels to impenetrable battle armor on tanks and vehicles. Do you want to know why this is my third? Because when the first thought of you coming to find me came to mind, I tried to kill myself. The first spear I made, I tried to stab myself with. The damn metal shattered. I made another one with the same result. I even got one of Missy's handguns and shot myself in the head with it. Guess what happened? The damn bullet bounced right off. Not a scratch or burn."

"I get it already… you're powerful…" Kim grunted, "Whoopie…"

Ron laughed even more, grabbing his spear and making it look as light as a feather. "The power of Gods… power beyond my jurisdiction… Something mankind could never achieve or create… Those given power are worthy of using it to the extreme! Soon, the world will find out that I truly am unstoppable, finally worthy of my name! This is my fate, my destiny, and there's nothing in this planet that is capable of putting a dent in me. They will all know soon enough… You should be honored, Kim. It will all start with you… You will be a beautiful sacrifice, one to show the world of the power they will soon be up against. Ron versus the-"

"Ah, shut up already…!" Kim yelled. "I told you I got it. You're powerful, but that doesn't mean you're invincible. You can't be."

"You haven't been paying attention, have you?"

Weakened eyes lay upon him. "Bad guys always lose, Ron… It's not going to be different this time around."

"Hah! In the world you won't be a part of, such words will be meaningless! To hell with it, I'm just going to finish you off right now!"

He ran at full speed towards the huge rock Kim was set against. She quickly ran towards one direction, but stopped when she found the blades of Ron's spear in front of her eyes and halfway into the rock. She tried to turn around and get out of the way, but Ron was already right next to her, yelling as he was ready to crush her body between his and the rock.

The blow was so powerful that the huge rock completely fell apart, caving in on them. It was like Ron had driven a monster truck through a castle and just tore the entire thing down brick by brick, if the monster truck went in at about 200 mph, though. At least a minute passed before the last pebble stopped, and immediately then the rock exploded again, with Ron jumping out of the debris with his spear handy. He was unharmed once again, but he was breathing more loudly and heavily than before with a purely psychotic look in his eyes. He was huffing and puffing with pure madness.

"WHERE ARE YOU?" he yelled as hard as his throat would allow.

When he charged into her, crossing his huge arms aimed right at her throat, he realized something was wrong just milliseconds before hitting the rock. Had he not been showing off so much, he might have noticed that something wasn't right about his opponent when she revealed herself. When she got out of the water, she wasn't drenched or soaked. When she stepped backward, she left no footprints. The rain didn't bounce off her hair or shoulders. When she leapt off the trees, they didn't move. She was like a ghost.

When he charged into Kim, he went _through_ her, meaning only one thing.

Possessed Ron Stoppable: Latest victim of the Holo-Kim, and he knew it. The entire time he chased after her, attacked her, the entire time she was in front of his eyes, she was never there. Not for a second, meaning she had been still been hiding the whole time. But where?

Ron had entered the area through a narrow passage walled with rocks, not giving him a view of the environment he was about to step into until he already stepped in it. It would only make sense that when he did, he would be absorbed by the beautiful scenery and anxiously anticipate his next move.

Then and now, Kim was actually right next to him. The entire time, she was leaning near the corner of the walled rock. He walked right past her when he first entered here. She had her body pressed against the rock, one that was covered in vines, plants and mud. It was nearly impossible to see her. Like her decoy, she did cover herself and her hair in mud, although the rain washed a good bit of it off, but she actually pulled down the bandana so that it covered the whites of her eyes.

While she did set off the attack that had a tree falling on her opponent, for the most part she stayed pressed against the rock the entire time. She didn't set off the Holo-Kim to mess around with Ron. Instead, she had to study her opponent, learn his techniques and moves, and see just how truly powerful he was before engaging him. It wasn't easy with the bandana darkening her vision, but she saw more than enough to make her conclusions about him.

It wasn't about a brutal fight to see who was better. It was impossible to hurt him; he was too fast with and without his spear, and he was just too strong to handle. She was going to get herself killed if she got anywhere near him, no matter what methods she tried, so the lip gloss knockout gas was out of the picture. He knew what flash grenades were and how to avoid being blinded, and her other weapons would reveal her location.

She had herself pressed against the wall for a good twenty or so minutes, and she didn't hesitate to wait more as Ron continued his search for her. He actually passed by her several times, but he never noticed her. Sometimes he ran, and there were many times where he yelled 'found you!' but was elsewhere. Even when he was close and yelled the same thing, Kim didn't move. Ron only cursed more and more as his efforts to draw her out failed. But not for long.

"Fine, you want to play the stealth game, Kim? Two can play at that one!"

Standing only a few feet in front of her, Ron pulled out some kind of small electronic device from his left pocket, about the size of a Japanese cell phone. By hitting a button on it and strapping it to his belt, a few electric sparks came out of it, and suddenly he vanished.

'_Stealth camouflage…'_ Kim thought to herself. A device that made one completely invisible by manipulating light beams.

Ron wasn't completely invisible, however. It didn't hide his spear or his footsteps. She could also see his figure being drawn from the heavy rain, each droplet bouncing off of him. But she would wait it out. Let Ron think he had the upper hand. But she realized that the only way to get him was from afar. She had to use a weapon he couldn't easily see, one that couldn't be heard, and one that wouldn't burn his skin or make him bleed. It was useless to use his surroundings against him since nothing happened. Maybe he was invincible, but she would rather die than give up.

Many had prophesized about the world ending. Maybe Ron was it, the one who would end it all. If she couldn't stop him, no one could. She had to do this.

Kim was later treated to the sounds of mad yelling and roaring. To the limit of his lack of patience, Ron started destroying every tree and rock in his way, desperate to find her.

"I know you're here!" he yelled.

Suddenly, Kim found Ron's spear three inches away from her left cheek, and it had cracked the rock. He was right in front of her, looking at her.

"Somewhere…" Ron panted angrily. "Somewhere…"

He didn't seem to notice she was there, and all Kim could do was keep quiet. The smallest sound would attract his attention, and she was in a screwed position as it was. After a while, Ron quickly pulled the spear from the rock, grunting angrily as he continued the hunt.

Kim remained just as still as the rock she was on, slowly watching Ron walk away. But for some reason, she couldn't help but feel a slight pain on her cheek. Taking a glance at this spear, she realized she was in serious trouble.

There was blood on one of the blades.

He must've cut her cheek when he pulled the spear from the rock. The cut wasn't serious, but it stood out, something her face paint couldn't hide. And it got worse. The rain quickly washed the blood to the bottom of her face and lower, staining her outfit red. Now no matter where she hid, she would easily stand out. But as long as Ron didn't look at his blades and as long as Kim didn't enter his range of vision, she would be okay… for now.

Since the camo was for the most part useless, Kim had to stop hiding and had to seek and stalk her target. She had to end this quickly before he realized what was going on. Unfortunately, when it came to weapons, she had her mind on one: the tranquilizer gun. It was silent, a long-range weapon, and it wasn't a projectile. It wasn't going to be long before Ron saw the blood on his spear, and hunting for something exactly like it. Last resort already. She had to hurry.

She had to play it fast and she had to play it quiet. She crept through the grass, the mud, and the river as fast as she could, being extremely careful that she made not a sound with each step. Not when the foot touched the ground, and not when it came off. Ron walked behind the huge rock hill, whistling loudly like anyone would to get their pet's attention.

"Here, Kimmy Kimmy Kimmy… I won't hurt you… I'll do far worse…"

Playing a silent assassin, minus the assassin part, Kim remained strong, not letting any of the noises he made scare her or affect what she was doing. It took several minutes for her to catch him in her sights. She just turned the corner of the big rocky hill in the middle of the area, and Ron was on the other side about to turn the corner himself.

She quietly pulled out the gun and put her finger on the trigger. The laser sight came on and Kim slowly guided the dot to start behind him. She couldn't allow it to go past him or he'd see it. She carefully guided it up his right leg until it was on his spine. It wasn't easy since the rain only did so much to show where every part of his body was, and he was rather hairy, though it was drenched from the storm. From the spine, Kim slowly went up until she reached what she believed to be the neck. It was hard to tell with all the invisible hair.

She wouldn't take the shot unless she was certain it would hit. She could compare it to a different scenario. Get the shot, save the day. Miss, and you hit one of many nuclear warheads ready to blow.

"Huh?" she heard him say.

Kim kept her aim steady, watching as Ron started to sniff loudly, noticing something.

"I know that scent…" he said cheerfully, "The one I've been looking for…"

Maybe the mud wore off on her. Instead, his attention went straight to the spear.

It was the smell of blood that he noticed.

He quickly turned his head to the left, remembering where he thrusted the spear into the rock wall. Another second and he'd run off.

With everything that stood against Kim, she finally pulled the trigger. The shot was so silent that she wondered if it fired at all.

However, she was on the receiving end, feeling a slight piercing pain and finding the bullet near her neck. Ron actually heard and saw the darn thing rip through the rain drops, caught it with two fingers without turning around, and just by flicking them, he sent the bullet flying through the air just as fast as the gun fired it. It struck Kim near her left shoulder.

"GOTCHA!" he yelled.

If it hadn't been already, this was so the drama. Or probably to the extreme. Ron found her, and she was hit by a bullet filled with a nasty sedative. Kim quickly tried to pull it out as fast as she could. Like Val said, only the needle penetrated the skin, so it took no effort to yank it out. But a grave look filled her face when she looked at the bullet.

There was no liquid sedative inside. She also felt something awkward in her bloodstream where it hit, confirming she was injected with it. Not even a few seconds passed before things went hazy and blurry.

Realizing the position she was in, Kim quickly aimed and fired every bullet she could out of the gun. To no surprise, Ron easily defended himself by slicing the bullets apart, grabbing them and crushing them in his fingers. Kim was on her last one, but she couldn't pull the trigger. Something was wrong.

The gun jammed. It was instantly knocked aside by Ron, who was now face to face with Kim. He turned off the stealth camo, useless in such rain.

Because he was so close, Kim tried to punch him as hard as she possibly could, but his face barely budged. Just by moving it forward, he knocked her down. But he grabbed her utility belt as her fist was trying to dig into his skull, and it came right off when she fell down. He threw it into the air and sliced it apart, including every weapon and device inside. All but one, anyway, one he caught in his hand. Some small audio communicator.

"What do we have here…?" Ron asked curiously.

Suddenly, a frantic voice came out of it. _"Ron!"_ Wade yelled. _"You've got to stop. Kim's right! The powers in your body weren't meant to be shared, and they've grown corrupted. They're going to kill you if you don'-"_

"I haven't heard your voice in several months and I'm already sick of hearing it!" Ron retorted. "Goodbye forever!"

He took no hesitation in crushing the device in his hands, and dropped it in the river. The only sounds that could be heard were mumbled distorted voices and electrical chirping. Turning back to Kim, he found a fist just nanometers away from his face.

Kim pretty much gave it the best she could, delivering an onslaught of her hardest and most painful attacks. A right fist to the face that normally would have broken someone's jaw, a knee to the abs that would knock the air out of anybody and crack a few ribs. A left uppercut that would have someone wearing dentures the next day, a spinning kick to the head that would have had it spinning faster than a figure skater. And as much as she didn't want to do it, she put the bottom of her palms together and delivered a specific double palm smash… one that, if delivered in perfect precision, would stop the human heart. Not a move she was proud to know, but learned it strictly for self-defense. And considering who she was, she needed to know these kinds of moves, though she'd only perform it if she was at the end of the line. She delivered it not expecting the hardcore results, but it should have been painful nonetheless.

Not a single move made Ron budge. Nothing. Instead, Kim's hands and feet were hurting.

Then it was his turn.

As if time slowed down for him, he put one foot on Kim's knee and delivered a spinning kick to the face with the other. Kim only staggered, and once he got back on the ground, he leapt at her and flew behind her, wrapping his legs around her neck. Instead of slamming her head into the ground, he rolled his body and released her, sending her flying high in the air, about twenty feet at best. But he wouldn't let her hit the ground, or rather, a big and sharp rock. Just as her head was inches away from being cracked like an egg, Ron grabbed Kim's foot with his own, spun his body like a top, and released her. She was sent through just about everything the jungle had to offer. Rocks, trees light and heavy, boulders, dirt and mud, and the river. And actually, over a cliff. It was about thirty feet high, but several tree branches 'softened' the fall for Kim on the way down, even though she destroyed them. She still rolled on the ground after hitting it, finally coming to stop in a river. Realizing she was underwater, she struggled to swim out. She miraculously got up like nothing happened, but her vision and hearing got far worse. She could hear Ron approaching.

"No… I'm not… going to kill you… so quickly…" his voice said. "I'm… going to enjoy… this… For all the hell… you put me through… I'm going… to make your death… slow… and painful… The end… Kim…"

Unable to see anything but blurs, Kim was in for a ride through hell and back, and Ron delivered an onslaught on his own. Finally utilizing his martial arts styles, including monkey kung fu, tiger swallow fist, hakkyoku-ken, lucha libre, Ninjitsu and judo, he did just about everything to her that he could think of. He started out by jumping on her shoulders and standing on them, and 'clapped' his feet together with Kim's head in the way, spinning his body in the process. After playing pancake with her skull at least fifteen times, he walked off, but wrapped his legs around her head and slammed her into the mud.

Kim couldn't see for the most part, but was able to make out Ron about to crush her head with his foot. She crossed her arms and managed to block it, and because of how wet the mud was, she sunk further into the ground, about to be buried. But he didn't want it to end yet. He quickly grabbed her by the neck and forced her to stand up, and he continued to pummel her. Kicks coming from right and left, punches coming from behind and from the front, he often climbed on her to attack and throw her. When she was knocked down, he picked her up and continued his attacks. But since she could barely see, she was left defenseless. She'd block on one direction and get clobbered from another. She would jump to the sides and still get clobbered. Sometimes Ron yelled like he was ready to attack, and Kim blocked, but he didn't make his move until after she put her arms up.

Even though she was blind, there was much to speculate on his moves, never fighting in one style consistently. When attacking with Monkey Kung Fu, he was often extremely graceful in his attacks, and often times he took the grace right out of it. He would often jump on Kim and attack her then, but he attacked with his hands a lot by swiping his knuckles across her face, and often kicked her in mid-air. With tiger swallow fist, he showed off even more, a powerful style that utilized both the arms and legs for powerful strikes. At one point he put his arms under Kim's, rose them up so she couldn't block, and thrusted the palms of his hands into her face or body, sometimes both. When it came to spinning kicks, Ron had the audacity to cross his arms arrogantly as he attacked. His hakkyoku-ken, based on bajiquan, seemed to deliver the most damage. A style lacking grace and fully utilizing the strength of the practitioner's arms and legs to deliver excruciating blows. Just about every move Ron performed in this style, ranging from elbow thrusts to shoulder charges, knocked Kim right into the ground. It was where speed delivered power.

He also mixed in judo for slamming her to the ground, lucha libre for jumping and crawling on her just to knock her down, and Ninjitsu for speed in both offense and defense. As hard as Kim tried, she just couldn't defend herself. She was more focused on fighting the sedative, but took the biggest beating of her life because of it. Somehow she remained conscious, but the pain in her body was forcing her to lose control of her arms, legs and jaw. She didn't even want to see herself in the mirror after this. Miraculously, Ron didn't break a bone, but it was intentional on his part, however.

So much in only a matter of minutes, and they were back in the area they started in. Another double palm smash to Kim's shoulder blades had her flying into a tree, and she tried to use it as leverage to stay up.

Ron spat on the ground in disgust. "I have never been so disappointed in my entire pathetic life…" he grumbled, "I was under the impression that you were going to give me a fight to remember, that you'd make the last minutes of your life the best. Legendary, epic, a bloody sonata. But no. You can barely touch me, and even when I let you, you can't hurt me at all. You're slow, you're weak, and you don't know how to handle an adversary that is stronger than every normal human being in the world combined!"

Kim got a good grip on the tree, but couldn't stand up properly on her feet.

Ron pulled out his spear, its jaws aimed right at her neck. "This is the end, Kim. You really took the fun out of this."

He made his final charge at her, and she wasn't even aware of what was going on. She could hear muffled footsteps from all directions, even though Ron was running in a straight line in front of her.

Then she saw the tip of the spear blades inches away from the neck.

A sickening slice was the only thing heard as the tree shook.

"DAMMIT!" Ron yelled afterward.

Kim managed to dive aside.

However, Ron did not come out empty-handed.

Even though she was seconds away from passing out, Kim noticed that her head felt a lot… lighter. With blurred eyesight, she could see something orange or red-colored right on the spear as Ron pulled it out. Touching her head, she realized something wasn't right, or that something was missing. She touched her back, usually expecting something to get in the way, but not this time. She didn't realize what had happened.

The orange thing that was on Ron's spear and the tree? Her hair. Her fluffy hair.

Kim no longer had long hair.

She had ducked, but not fast enough to avoid the blades, so they sliced a huge chunk of her hair off. She then dove aside, now with her hair at shoulder's length, unaware of what happened until now. But her thoughts didn't dwell on it for a moment. She struggled to move, able to get on her feet and take a few steps away from Ron, trying to get away.

She collapsed on her back with a thud so hard even soaked leaves were sent flying in the air.

This time, she wouldn't get up. She couldn't fight the serious pain or the sleep drug a second longer. She passed out right in front of Ron.

Though he was disappointed with the overall fight, he was impressed that Kim lasted as long as she did, considering the brutal beating he gave her and pretty much destroyed acres of the jungle with her. He decided he'd kill her in her sleep. No last words, but at the same time, no cries or screams. Strange from someone who lusted over the sight of her blood, but she did give it her best to stay conscious. Her death wouldn't be completely undignified.

He walked up to her and raised his spear over her neck, but he looked high into the sky before finishing it once and for all. He let the raindrops bounce off his eyelids, watching as the clouds moved over him. A sunless sky.

"Meeting life's end without light, a death only in darkness. May the final spilling of your blood signal the end of the old world, and the beginning of the next…"

He watched as the rain did its best to wash the blood off her face, one that had so much sadness and sorrow in it. Even in sleep she knew, and maybe realized what her failure meant.

"Goodbye…"

Finally, the spear entered the grass. But it was nowhere near Kim. Something knocked it back.

"What the?" Ron yelled in surprise, "What's go-"

He was suddenly knocked straight into the ground, put back on his feet, was punched repeatedly in the face, thrown into the ground, hurled right back up, and slammed into the dirt again. He actually yelled in pain throughout the ordeal, growling angrily as he got to his feet.

"VAL! SHOW YOURSELF!"

No answer. Scoffing, Ron walked towards his weapon again, but something grabbed his hand and slammed him into the ground, pulled him back up, and did it repeatedly. It didn't do much to him, until he was punched across the face so hard blood flew out of his nose. He was knocked to the ground, and he was furious. He got up instantly.

"What's wrong?" Ron yelled as he got to his feet. "Too chicken to fight after I owned your ass in Hong Kong? Coward!"

Again, the voice of Val wouldn't be heard. But what happened earlier happened again. He went to reach for his weapon, but was kicked and punched repeatedly by an invisible enemy, and knocked into the ground. Ron got up again, infuriated beyond belief.

"WHERE ARE YOU?"

"_Over here!"_ an unfamiliar voice hollered.

He looked toward where the voice came from, but saw nothing.

"Stealth camouflage…" Ron hissed.

The unfamiliar cleared its throat loudly, growing irritated. Unexpectedly, something swooped Ron off his feet with what felt like a long bamboo stick, so hard that Ron flipped in the air and landed on his face. Only by pulling it from the mud did he finally see his opponent.

"_**RUFUS…?"**_

The loud screams were enough to awaken Kim, but barely. She heard the same name that Ron yelled, but wasn't fully aware what was going on. Ron was a few feet away from her, and she tried to focus on his pint-sized adversary. It wasn't Val; it was Ron's very own pet. But just like his owner and Monkey Fist, other than losing a lot of weight, he had a drastic change in appearance.

He wasn't naked.

He had hair on his head. A lot. Looked no different than a young samurai in an anime, and he was armed with a staff, stolen from his owner. Where was he this entire time?

Where he has always been: Ron's pocket. But he had him trapped in there thanks to a secure zipper, and the whole time Rufus struggled to escape. He arrived just in the nick of time. Sooner would've been much nicer, but better late than never.

Ron was just pissed, huffing and growling at his small pet. "You… You DARE to defy your master?" he yelled at the small creature.

Rufus' answer came in the form of a battle cry and spinning the staff around. "No more!" he yelled, challenging his owner.

Ron did the same, spinning the spear wildly with just his arms, almost breaking the air in half. "In the past, you might have been the faster learner, but I have surpassed you and everyone else on this planet! You'll pay for your treachery!"

Rufus snickered at his owner. "Bring it on!"

Kim just lay there and tried to watch as the two engaged themselves in combat. If Kim thought Ron was fast, she was in for a surprise.

Not only was Rufus just as powerful as his master, but he moved so fast that he was rendered invisible. Ron tried everything to cut the mole rat in half, but Rufus was instantly several feet away before the blades hit the ground, and when they did, Ron already had a staff digging into his cranium. And Rufus didn't even wait until Ron got back on his feet.

He had watched everything unfold for the last six months, witnessing as his beloved owner slowly evolved into a paranoid maniacal master of destruction. He knew what the powers were doing to him, and he knew what Kim was trying to do.

Ron got up grabbing his throbbing head, yelling gibberish before getting a hold of himself. "Why are you helping her?" he demanded.

"You're not hurting her anymore…" he answered from behind, swinging his staff around just with one hand. However, he was holding something behind his back with the other.

Ron yelled as he rushed towards Rufus and spun his entire body in just about every angle he could, ripping up the mud and sending it everywhere. Rufus decided to do the same, and they both reached a stage where they both went on the offensive with their weapons and defended themselves, to the point where they couldn't hit each other. They did an insane amount of aerobics, spinning wildly in the air as they leapt aside from each other. Kim couldn't shake the feeling that something about this fight felt familiar. A small master fighting a taller one, and the smaller one being insanely fast and performing moves even she couldn't imagine. The endless sounds of wood cracking filled the jungle.

Finally, Ron's head was sent flying upward as Rufus swung his staff upward across his face. Rufus then leapt to as high as where Ron's nose was, and spun his body in at least 1800 degrees before cracking the staff on the side of Ron's head. The staff itself was destroyed, but the impact sent Ron digging into the mud at an intense speed, breaking about twelve trees with his head. Unlike before, he wasn't unaffected. He had a hard time getting back on his feet, and when he did, he quickly rushed towards the small rodent.

Ron chose to fight Rufus hand-to-hand, but the mole rat was too small to hit. All of Ron's moves were decimating, destroying everything they struck. Rufus would leap onto a tree, and Ron would destroy it, only to have his pet launch himself at his owner's face with enough force to knock him down. Ron would be slammed into the mud, rocks, and more trees. Rufus was just too fast, often leaping several feet back in an instant and jumping into his owner's gut and up at his chin the same second.

While Rufus' moves alone weren't on the verge of smashing trees and rocks, it was definitely certain that he was inflicting some serious damage to Ron. But why? Ron almost caught Rufus in mid-air as he delivered a fierce palm attack, but Rufus actually grabbed Ron's hand, hurled him upward, and slammed him into the ground again.

It hit Ron as rain poured on his face. "Only those who possess the powers can hurt each other… Son of a-"

Was there some kind of protective barrier the powers produced, protecting Ron from any physical injury by Kim? Since Rufus was also cursed with the same powers, he alone was able to deal damage.

Ron was picked up, just to get smacked in the face repeatedly by his pet. Rufus, taking advantage of his fast speed, used his entire body as a weapon of some sort. His owner was endlessly 'punched' across the face and the gut with no time to catch himself, and Rufus was even less merciful than his master. No matter where Ron tried to attack or move, he was clobbered by his pet.

Finally, in a blind fury, Ron managed to backhand his opponent, sending him into a nearby tree. It didn't break, but Rufus didn't suffer any serious injury. Ron chose not to engage his pet any longer.

Instead, he ran.

Rufus saw this as he rubbed his head, but instead of chasing after him, he quickly rushed to Kim and tried to wake her up.

"R… Rufus…?" she could barely mumble.

"Come on!" he shouted. He grabbed her hand and tried to get her back on her feet, but to no avail. But he put something in her pocket, trying to use both hands.

"I'm sorry… Rufus…" she mumbled weakly. "I'm trying… I… just can't…"

Kim was in and out of consciousness the whole time, leaving Rufus with one alternative.

He picked her up. He actually got under her and picked her up. After that, he ran off to where Ron had fled.

"We can't let him get away!" he yelled. So the powers also made him speak longer sentences, too.

It was really an embarrassing sight on Kim's part, like she was being carried away by ants at a fast speed. But Rufus ran through the trees as fast as he could while carrying Kim until they found Ron.

He was at a dead end. He came across a lake, one with high rocks blocking a way across. There was also a cliff, and on top of it was the tallest tree of the jungle.

"Give up!" Rufus cried, putting Kim down.

Ron merely turned around, scoffing at Rufus' demand as thunder ripped the skies. The storm got thicker with strong winds, blowing all of Ron's hair past his eyes. It quickly blinded him, and he struggled to move it aside and keep it there. Seeing this as an opening, Rufus charged at his master ready to attack again, but Ron saw him fly in mid-air towards him, and was able to react to it. He grabbed Rufus by the tail, swung him in circles, and threw him as hard as he could into one of the nearby rocks.

Rufus hit the rock, fell to the ground, and didn't get up. He wasn't knocked out, but he tried so much to get up. It really didn't help that he left a good engraving on the rock.

Ron laughed at this, and now that Rufus was somewhat incapacitated and because Kim was still out of it, he was going to finish her. But he wasn't going to do it from here. Looking at the cliff and the tree high above it, he got an idea. He then quickly grabbed Kim's leg and dragged her as close to the lake as he could. After letting her go, he jumped all the way up past the cliff, then climbed up the tree like a monkey. It wasn't long before he reached the top.

"Kim!" he yelled from high above. "It's over!"

Ron raised his spear above his head so that the blades were way above him. He was going to jump off the tree and stab Kim and finally finish her, letting each moment of the fall raise his adrenaline until the final blow. He could see her struggle to move, but it was just too hard to move just one arm or leg. Then he let out one final loud battle cry.

What happened next had Kim's eyes wide open, snapping completely out of the daze.

Ron was struck by lightning.

The storm turned into a thunderstorm. The very first bolt of lightning hit the highest tree in the area, attracted by the metal of the spear, which was completely obliterated. Kim almost screamed in fear for what she saw next.

Ron was set ablaze, and lifelessly fell off the tree. A trail of fire destroyed the cliff on impact and hit the lake with a splash that rivaled the height of the trees.

"RON!"

Snapping out of it, Kim quickly got onto her feet and ran into the water. But suddenly, before her waist was below the surface, she was choking, almost gagging for breath. She found a hot hand with smoky fur on her neck. She was looking into Ron's red eyes, growling at her as he walked out of the water. He was breathing heavier than before.

"W…what?" she tried to ask in shock.

"I… told you before…" he said weakly with blood trailing from his mouth, "I won't die… not as long as you still live…"

Kim noticed his grip was much weaker than before. The direct blast should have completely killed him, but all things considered it should have at least weakened him.

"Kim!" Rufus cried from aside. "Your pocket!"

Kim then remembered he put something there, and was able to pull it out. She was amazed to see what it was.

The last tranquilizer bullet, the one that jammed her gun. Rufus must've escaped earlier than she thought and grabbed it. Ron noticed it and released his grip on her, and Kim quickly jammed it into his neck. He yelled as he felt the sedative go into his blood, instantly collapsing.

But he wasn't out, at least not completely. But he was definitely feeling the effects, quickly losing control of his limbs. He wasn't kidding when he said it was over.

Kim panted and coughed when she got back onto her feet, quickly rushing to Rufus' aid. "Rufus? Are you okay?"

He merely raised his arm and raised a thumb. "I'm cool."

She quickly picked him up, but she almost gasped when she did. Rufus did lose weight, but she instantly felt his ribs. The poor guy must've been starved. "Oh… poor Rufus."

"K…Kim…" she heard from nearby.

Ron was moaning in anger. With Rufus now resting peacefully on her shoulder, she knelt down towards the fallen fighter.

"H… How…?" he asked. "How is it possible… that I lost… to someone like you?"

Kim couldn't tell herself that she won. He was beaten, but there was no victor in the fight. "I'm sorry, Ron, but it's got to be this way…"

"And I was expecting… your typical… 'I'm Kim Possible'… or 'anything's possible for a Possible'…" he said before coughing. "I was… the chosen one… and now you're… going to take that… away from me…"

"Ron, I don't want you to die, but that's not you in there, not at all. This isn't you. I know it's not…"

"It's all about _you_… and what _you_ want…"

"Ron, I love you," Kim said, "I'm doing this because I don't want you to die. I care for you. I need you."

"But I HATE YOU!" he screamed. "I HATE YOU I HATE YOU I HATE YOU! WHY CAN'T YOU JUST DIE! If you won't die, then kill me! I'd rather die than be your puppet a second longer!"

It just wasn't him under those crimson red eyes. One would think a little bit of the original Ron Stoppable would pop out, that maybe a little bit of his inner Ron, Ronage or Ronittude would come out. Some kind of reference to Bueno Nacho, referring to Kim as 'KP'. He didn't even say 'Booyah'.

Kim cracked her knuckles. "I'm sorry, babe, but I'm doing this for you." And as hard as she could, she swung her fist across his face with a loud crack that could be heard for miles.

He was out.

Not really feeling proud of knocking out Ron, even if he was possessed, Kim then heard the sound of clapping from her side.

"Well done…" a deep older voice said, revealing itself as he walked out of the trees, "I wasn't sure if you could actually do it…"

Kim turned away. "Just shut up, Val…" Rufus instantly growled at Ryan's presence, ready to attack. "It's okay, Rufus," Kim told him, "He's with me. I'll explain it later."

"Wha…?" was all Rufus could say.

Val shook his head. "My apologies. I just wasn't sure if you had it in your heart to do it."

"I didn't want to hurt him, but I had to do it."

Kim wasn't watching, but Val slowly made his way to Ron's body, knelt down near his head and pulled something out. It looked like some kind of sticker with a small timer on it.

Then she noticed. "What are you doing?"

Val put it on Ron's neck before turning to her. "Keeping him in his state. This will prevent him from waking up and attacking you."

"He _will_ be able to wake up at some point, right?"

"I've only been able to implement a timer so far. When that expires, yes. He'll be able to wake up."

"How long?"

"24 hours. Do what you have to do before then."

Kim just kept quiet, looking at some of the smoky fur on Ron, unable to recognize the person she had been looking for in so long.

"I like what you've done with your hair," Val said. Just when a guy actually notices a change in a girl's hair, it's when she doesn't want anyone to.

"Har har…" Kim said sarcastically, "Go ahead and laugh, Val."

He was perplexed to her reaction, until he saw a strand of red hair on a broken blade. "I wasn't being sarcastic."

Realizing he wasn't joking, she didn't know what to say. "Oh, um… thanks." But it wasn't for long. She had been used to her long lovable hair for so long and already she missed it.

"You okay?" he asked.

Kim had to lean against a rock, unable to see her many bruises and injuries through the camo paint. "I am so going to be aching in the morning… but nothing too serious, I think." But she noticed something about Val. He looked seriously depressed. "What about you? What happened to Melissa?"

A disappointed look filled his face. "Got away…"

"What?" Someone escaping Valia Ryan? "She actually escaped? How?"

He wasn't sure of all the details himself. "I chased her down throughout the jungle until we reached a cliff, with a huge river below. She was cornered, but made the jump and survived. So, I followed her… but once I hit the water, she was just gone… but I didn't walk out empty-handed." He held her two swords. Unfortunately, they weren't of much use now.

Suddenly, Rufus gasped happily to something he saw near them. Kim and Val turned to that direction, to find Yori. She had not a scratch on her. But before she could say a word, Val quickly walked up to her, observed her, and poked her belly.

Yori nearly laughed from being tickled and moved his hand away. "Ryan-kun, what are you doing?"

"Sorry," he said, "Wanted to make sure you were real."

"What do you mean?"

Kim wanted to know this as well.

He looked surprised. "Let's just say in my pursuit of Uso, I was treated to a rather brutal sight of Hanteren shooting you in the head. I thought you were dead." That's what was depressing him.

"You should know better than anyone that we've been trained to use decoys as deceptions," she said. Yamanuchi.

"I must've not been around for that…"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She then giggled. "But I have to say I'm flattered by your concern, Ryan-kun, but I can take care of myself. You really didn't think I'd actually let them see the real me, or did you?"

He looked relieved. "I suppose I did."

Yori quickly turned her attention to Kim. "Not to worry. They are at least sixty miles away from here. So, you were successful in beating…" Just by laying her eyes on Ron, she was petrified with a shocked look on her face. Not what she expected.

"Yori?" Kim asked. "What's wrong?"

It took her a while to snap out of it. "Nothing, nothing… so you were successful in defeating him?"

"I wouldn't put it that way," Kim said. "He's beaten, but I can't take all the credit."

Yori noticed something else. "What's that behind his neck?"

"What?"

Something was stuck on the back of his neck. It was difficult to pull out with all the hair, but Kim managed. The small circular device with puncturing needles surrounding it looked extremely familiar. There was also a hateful face on it.

"A moodulator?"

Suddenly, memories of years past just ran through her head. The fight in Bortel's lab, giving Ron his first kiss, crying, yelling, chasing a pickle through Middleton, the LBD, the breakup, and fighting Ron. But the moodulator on her neck was destroyed, and only two were made. The last time she saw the other one was on Shego's neck, chasing after Drakken the way home.

This was the same one Shego had on her neck. Realizing this, Kim crushed the entire device in her hands with a morbidly infuriated look in her eyes.

"**_DRAKKEN!"_**

Kim was breathing heavily and angrily with her eyes wide open. Yori took a few steps back, Rufus leapt off of Kim's shoulder and onto Yori's shoulder, and Val hadn't seen her this angry in a while.

"He's involved…"

Then she remembered. When Val was charging at Ron, Uso put it on his neck.

She was working for Drakken.

But Kim didn't let her dark side consume her. She tossed the remains of the device aside and picked up Ron, carrying him over her shoulders.

"So what next?" Val asked.

"The lodge is south," Kim answered. "We'll rest there."

"Is it over?" Yori asked.

Kim turned around to face the two. "No. It's far from over."


	21. 20: Departure to a Cold Fate

One chapter so long it was split into two. I apologize if it's disappointing, but the next chapter will be here before the end of the week. Very soon. It was going to be a double upload, but I'm finding myself rushing with the end of the next one. Not good. Since that's almost done, expect that one very very soon.

**Chapter 20: Departure to a Cold Fate**

**

* * *

**

Rain. Thunder. Nothing else could be heard in the jungle around the lodge. Kim just couldn't get her mind off of it.

She had been dead silent for at least an hour now. She hadn't spoken since the end of the fight, one she felt like she didn't win. Ron had been put out of commission and was being kept in an unconscious state thanks to a device Valia placed on his neck, but she didn't feel as if she 'won' the fight.

Yori and Val completely understood the feeling. Fights weren't always about proving yourself to be better, stronger, and/ or wiser than your opponent. As hard as she tried to fight and outsmart Ron, Kim didn't prove herself to be better than the cursed master one bit.

The important thing was that Ron was stopped. That's all that mattered no matter how it was done.

And considering all the injuries Kim suffered; cuts and bruises all over, not to mention a new haircut, she was grateful she suffered no serious injuries, although some of those cuts needed treatment and soon. The problem was that Kim left all of her emergency equipment in her bag, which was in a hollow tree on the other side of the jungle several miles away, along with Val's.

He chose to retrieve their equipment, in case he ran into Uso on the way over or back. Yori stayed with Kim in case anything happened. She actually had a few healing herbs handy on her and wanted to use them on Kim, but it was difficult to tell exactly where Kim's injuries were with all her camo paint on her arms, shoulders, neck and face. It didn't come off so easily, either, and the lodge had no electricity or water.

There was a small shower outside that Kim used to bathe herself, and the rain provided more than enough water to cleanse the camo paint and blood. Afterward, Yori lent Kim a regular outfit to wear, what some Yamanuchi students wore under their shokuzu/ uniform. As comfortable as the camo outfit was, it was ripped, covered in mud and stained with blood. Yori was then able to apply some herbs to make some of Kim's injuries heal faster. Val soon came back with both their bags, no success in finding his target. Kim quickly got what she needed out of her bag to treat her injuries. Val also let her use whatever medical supplies and treatment he had since he didn't suffer any injuries from earlier.

But the entire time, she was silent with her mind filled with thoughts. She wasn't bothered by the thought of not truly defeating Ron, not from her injuries or her new haircut. It was the discovery after the fight that had her baffled and vexed.

The moodulator, a device created by Dr. Cyrus Bortel that could actually control one's emotions with a push of a button. Only two were ever made, and the one on Kim's neck had short-circuited from a combination of being overpowered due to Drakken's electrical amplifier and a bug that had the device caught in an infinite loop. After taking pickle boy home, Kim assumed that the other one on Shego's neck suffered the same outcome, and that was the end of it.

And here it was, placed on the back of Ron's neck by Uso right before the fight. And the only reason the small girl would have had it on her is if she got it from Drakken and Shego directly. She _had_ to have been working for them. Although she might have just been in allegiance with them instead, and there was the possibility she stole the device and had nothing to do with the two, Kim told herself otherwise. Drakken was definitely involved.

The moodulator could be used as a weapon; that was one of the realizations Bortel made after the incident with Kim and Shego. The invention was a success, but it was far too dangerous when in the wrong hands. Kim knew this first hand, and knew of its effects as well. It was part of this knowledge that was bothering her.

The device amplified feelings toward something or someone, and as Kim would later discover, it would do more if the feelings were hidden or kept secret. For many, this meant that Kim might have had hidden feelings for Ron the whole time, maybe not realizing it or downright denying it, at least based on what happened when she had the device on her neck. But at the same time, she realized; this might have meant that Ron had ill feeling toward her deep inside long before all of this, now let loose because of the small device on his own neck.

Although Bortel asked Kim to destroy the other moodulator if she ever came across it, that wasn't the reason why she did. Realizing that Drakken had something to do with all of this, all those six months of loneliness and suffering, playing with her heart again, saying 'pissed off' was putting it lightly, worse than what the moodulator could bring out in her.

She wanted revenge all right.

But not now.

She didn't want to go after Drakken until she figured out what he was up really up to, and so many thoughts engulfed her mind about the situation laying in front of her. Returning Ron to his original state was priority number one.

When Kim first stepped foot in the lodge, she laid Ron down on the floor in one of the bigger rooms, and one of the first things she did was check his neck. With so many circular puncture marks all over, it was clear the moodulator was placed there numerous times by Melissa.

Ron's cursed powers were definitely the reason he turned into a worse person. She remembered the times when he showed severe change; how heartless he was when she broke her ribs and arm, how depressed and lifeless he was at work to the point where she found a new and unopened bottle of rum in the fridge, and the way he was almost always angry. But was the moodulator directly responsible for Ron's maniacal hatred for her? Was it the same device that turned Kim into a lovebird that turned Ron evil and insane?

Rufus' verdict?

Not even close.

For the last several months, he witnessed first-hand as his owner slowly mutated from a lovable and silly human being into a hateful and arrogant animal.

Right after Ron had fled from Middleton to Hong Kong, he already expressed extreme hatred for the girl he left behind, morbidly proud that he was away and "free" from a life he grew to hate. Rufus tried his best to urge him to go back and seek help or something, but Ron couldn't be reasoned with. This was long before Melissa arrived on the scene, and she only made things worse. Although she told Ron why she was there and what her mission was, she was extremely secretive about everything else. She wouldn't reveal who she worked for, why she accepted her assignment or anything about her past.

When she told Kim and Val that she didn't remember most of it, that she was a thief who had her mind wiped, it was the first time Ron heard anything of the sort.

But Ron only allowed her to stay around him under one condition, to do whatever she could to keep Kim away, and she did… by starting with the mole rat. Rufus had attempted just about everything to get in contact with Kim, Wade, any of their allies or rides, and even enemies. But Melissa was a quick one, catching Rufus just as he got near anything that resembled a communications device, stalking him unmercifully.

Ron grew irritated of Rufus' numerous escape attempts, and demanded he be kept in a cage. Melissa fed him only once or twice a day with small leftovers, and he lost a lot of weight as a result. Finally speaking, Kim urged Val to lend Rufus some food from his fruit bag from Kowloon, minus the knockout fruits. Rufus finished the entire thing in minutes. Val didn't seem to care, really. Bueno Nacho or not, the mole rat needed it.

Even though he was kept in a cage, Ron demanded that he always stay in close proximity even when he trained. Rufus and the girl watched as he destroyed all kinds of workout equipment, and sometimes Melissa herself sparred with him. But because she was somewhat an ally, Ron found himself holding back against a girl, and the only thoughts that ran through his mind as he trained was destroying Kim in a fight, to finally overpower her, to finally prove that he was no longer inferior to her. He didn't seem to notice or care that he was growing hair all over his face and hands. But if he wanted to achieve that goal, he needed to find a way to avoid holding back. Although Melissa had nothing to do with Ron's hatred toward Kim, neither condoning nor condemning it, she had an idea. From her pocket, she pulled out a moodulator.

But Rufus had separate thoughts about it than Kim. He thought that Bortel, despite showing grief in realizing the device could be dangerous, would still make more anyway, and that Melissa had gotten her hands on one. Ron had used that to amplify his fighting skills, believing that his hatred made his fighting abilities ten times stronger. The conclusion both Ron and Melissa came up with was that without emotion, without a heart to hold you back, you were unstoppable in a duel. Your conscience and beliefs wouldn't interfere with seriously injuring your opponent or killing them, a concept Valia used against Team Possible in the past. That's the only role the moodulator played.

All of the maniacal hatred he had for Kim; that was all the cursed powers' doing.

But Rufus wasn't really sure Drakken was involved in any of this. He never heard Melissa make any kind of direct communication with him or Shego, and even though he tried to spy on her just as much as she spied on him, he found no reason to believe that he was behind any of this. And after hearing Kim's story about the black suits and Sean, when she explained everything that happened in the last week, he found even more reason to believe she wasn't in league with Drakken, especially since the girl attacked Kim just when Sean and the black suits made their move. She had to have been working for someone else, someone who wanted her to keep close and watch over Ron Stoppable and prevent Kim Possible from finding him.

And there was another fact that Rufus revealed that Kim wasn't too happy to discover.

Melissa often tried to seduce her Ron, from talking in a sexy voice, wearing revealing outfits only in his presence, and the girl even had the audacity to wander around their apartment in nothing but leather underwear. Although she was just as old as he was, nineteen, she had the assets to easily seduce anyone without even trying. Some would say her figure was in fact, perfect. Everything done right. She made the other girls in Hong Kong instantly jealous, and despite her strange purple hair, eyes, and the X-shaped scar between them, her innocent face often had boys walking into poles or moving traffic.

Kim wasn't the only girl in the lodge who found herself irritated by learning this, though.

But Ron was completely immune to the girl's spell. He was far more concerned with himself and his growing abilities to even notice or care. Melissa soon changed herself into a typical damsel-in-distress so Ron would feel like the superior one of the two, and he fell for it hook, line and sinker. He became her protector, only when showing his face against anyone who dared to lay a finger on her, and quickly became obsessed with it. There were times where it seemed like he could no longer resist her charms, but it was always pretend just to get a reaction out of her, and he made her look like a fool and made fun of her for it. Sometimes they were friendly, but often they were not. Contrary to what Ron said, they never got into a relationship. He never showed any kind of feelings toward her, and she never got too close to hug or kiss him. He never let her.

But Rufus didn't think Drakken was involved. Who else could have she been working for?

It was something Valia had hoped to get out of her, but didn't. He came back with the two swords she wielded, named "Love" and "Lust", and with what he considered interesting information regarding her: She was at the exact same level he was at when it came to both hand-to-hand combat and weapons-based fighting. Kim wasn't surprised; after all, the girl nearly sliced her clothes off in their first encounter near Middleton.

Although Val and Melissa shared dialogue to get information and mock the other, they couldn't get a move in on the other when they engaged in combat. Punches and kicks never made contact, counterattacks and throws were evaded; they just couldn't touch each other. Val's skills in hand-to-hand need no explanation, but his skills with swords were superhuman, period.

And he couldn't scratch her. He was actually equipped with two swords to counter hers, but metal hit nothing but metal. Most of the time she played bait or tried to escape, and he was in violent pursuit. It ended when the part of the jungle came to an abrupt end, and she nearly jumped off a cliff with a good thousand-or-so foot drop into a huge waterfall and river. Val had her cornered, but she showed no fear. Before she went over the edge, she had something to say to him.

"You have learned so much since the last time we met, V… You have no idea how proud I am of you. I'm just sorry I wasn't able to teach you the last thing I wanted for you to learn."

Val didn't lower his guard. "And what would that be?"

She chuckled. "Resurrection. A fine but dying art, wouldn't you agree?"

And only one person on earth referred to Val as 'V'; Enya, his mentor. After winking and smacking her lips at him, she leaned back and fell off the cliff, spreading her arms gracefully as she fell. Val went in right after her, and the two hit the water at the same time. But when he pulled his head from the water, she was gone without a trace. He quickly stormed the entire area, but he couldn't find her. She was gone.

Just when Kim thought she'd get some answers, she got more questions instead. But she wasn't going to dwell on it for long. The sleep device on Ron's neck had a minute over 23 hours remaining on it. The four Jade Monkey statues were retrieved, Ron was incapacitated and would stay that way for a while, Rufus was safe and had no objections to losing his powers if it meant saving Ron, leaving one more. Monkey Fist, and he'd rather be dead than give up his powers.

But Ron destroyed Kim's communicator, only leaving her Kimmunicator to contact Wade. But everyone knew the black suits were just waiting for the moment for the signal to go live. Without Wade to assist them, they had no idea where Fist could be hiding.

Well, not all of them, anyway.

Rufus also had cursed powers in his body. Although he didn't turn evil like Ron, it did affect him. He had the strength of a bodybuilder although his size prevented him from destroying bigger things. He moved at an incredible speed that put those speed shoes to shame, not to mention he had full control this time. He also spoke in small sentences as opposed to a few syllables. His fighting abilities had also tremendously improved, but there was also the downfall: his hair. All that hair on his head, and he hated it.

But there was another ability he just realized: he could also detect other cursed masters, namely Monty. Like it was another sense, he felt a dark presence south of where they were.

"A Monkey Temple in the Amazon," he quickly said.

Kim rolled her eyes. "The Amazon? Again?" Just how many times had she been there? She was starting to get a little bored of it.

Yori brought up a problem, though. "But Possible-san, we cannot set foot in the populated areas here."

"Let me guess…" Kim said with a groan, "When you were messing with Sean and his boys, they said something about black suits being all over the city and looking for me."

"Every city in the country, actually," Yori replied. "I really don't wish to travel all the way down there by foot, but…"

Val had a smile on his face. "You two don't know, do you?"

"Know what?" Kim asked.

"There's actually a railroad not too far from here that goes from this jungle to the one in the Amazon. It's actually a mile out back."

Considering Kim was familiar with the area and saw no such thing, she was skeptical. "News to me…" Come to think of it, she hadn't explored much of the area out back. "But why would there be a railroad in the middle of two jungles?"

"Drug trafficking," Val plainly answered. "Apparently the railroad itself stays away from populated areas, avoiding public eye and attention. It was discovered some time ago and many were arrested, but it hasn't been used since, and as a result no one's kept an eye on it. You might be able to get across without detection, unless you set off a big and loud explosive."

"An ex-drug train to the Amazon…" Kim said in thought.

"Chances are the black suits know we're in the country and are looking hard for anyone resembling us and through disguises…" Val mentioned.

"That, and someone at luggage security is bound to notice beast boy here," Kim said, leaning her head toward Ron. "So I guess it's the train, then. If we leave now we can get there by tomorrow, hopefully before the timer runs out. Let's move."

Without a moment to spare, they all grabbed their gear (and Ron) and headed out.

* * *

Just when Wade had something really important to tell Kim, his means of communication with her were completely lost. 

None of it was about Ron's condition, Melissa or Dr. Drakken for that matter.

It had to do with the black suits and the justice organizations going after Kim. He learned that many members of justice organizations were actually disobeying direct orders to capture Kim, namely Global Justice, to seek the truth themselves. But they just couldn't get past the computers that addressed the orders, and contact with the heads of all of the orgs were lost.

Although many were on the hunt, the one who was the most hell-bent on capturing or killing Kim was Sean Hanteren, a commanding officer in Hard Police, an organization known for its more brutal tactics against criminals. "Take away the rights of the innocent; we could care less about your rights as a human being."

But looking into Hard Police's database, he found out something big. But he couldn't contact Kim, and she needed to know this _now_.

Hoping the signal wouldn't be traced, he opened up a communications window with someone on his laptop.

"I need you to do me a favor…" he said.

"_Name it,"_ a voice responded on the other end.

* * *

"Wow, so there's actually a train here." Kim seemed impressed. 

Indeed, there was a working train in the middle of the stormy jungle, but it was disguised as a passenger train with ten cars, still in excellent condition. Kim quickly put her bag and Ron in the front car. Yori and Rufus hopped on right after.

"Think you can handle that?" Val asked Kim from outside.

"No big," she calmly answered. "I've operated trains before, Val."

"Oh, right… well, I guess this is it, then…" he said quietly, wrapping his jacket over his shoulders, ready to turn the other direction.

Kim quickly hopped off the door. "Wait, you're not coming?"

He shook his head. "You've got what you needed out of me. Ron's been found and he's no longer a threat. My services are no longer required…" That's what the deal was. He said he'd help her find Ron and he did. "I have other quarrels to attend to. I'm sure you'll be fine with Yori should anything come up."

"You're going to try to find Melissa, aren't you? You don't suppose…"

"She looks exactly like Enya, but I'm just not certain why. She has her looks and her exact skills, sans the joints…"

"You really don't think what she said was true, do you? I mean, about resurrection and all?" Kim definitely didn't believe in it, but she had seen a lot of things on this journey that shouldn't have existed in the first place.

"Hard to say," he said quietly. "One of the things I stumbled upon in search of these…" he held up the necklace with the relics on it, "were many ancient records of sorts. Among them was this one: During a war between two tribes, the son of a shaman was killed in battle, but he wasn't ready to die. The shaman didn't bury his son. Instead, he spread his ashes out to sea. After days of prayer, ritual dance and magic, his son walked out of the ocean, fully alive and well. The same day he returned to the battlefield and emerged victorious."

Real or not, Kim knew why he mentioned this. "And you told me that you spread Enya's ashes over the ocean after she died…"

"Makes you wonder… but I'm going to get to the bottom of this. She might have kept you away from Ron, but she's my problem. Don't get in the way."

And she wouldn't. The last person they both had a quarrel with was Senator Brown, and both said they'd handle it. But it was personal for Val, and it was he who poisoned her. If Kim decided she'd find Melissa, Val would see to it that he'd get to her first.

"I understand," she said, "but if it's not too hard to ask, if you find out anything, mind dropping a line?"

He seemed hesitant at first, but, "After you saved my life back in Kowloon, I suppose it's the least I can do…"

Suddenly, his heart stopped. His body was still, his nerves frozen. Everything went dead in his body, and for one reason.

He found Kim's arms wrapped around him. She was actually hugging him.

"Thank you _so_ much for everything…" Kim said with no ounce of dishonesty in her voice. "You have no idea how much I appreciate everything you've done to help me find and save Ron."

She let him go, but like the time she thanked him in Kowloon, he had a confused and vexed look on his face, having a hard time comprehending what just happened. Instead of saying something directly to her, he turned around, hiding his face.

"D… D-Don't mention it…" he stammered. "I-It's n… nothing…"

Kim noticed like before, but assumed that Val wasn't used to that kind of gesture, and decided not to say anything. With his back facing her, he started to walk off. Kim could hear a lot of irritated grunts and confused groans as he waved his right hand with two fingers outward, his usual goodbye.

"Val! Listen!" she hollered. "One of these days, I'm going to repay you. I promise!"

"Don't worry about it…" he mumbled, not stopping. The rain got louder and the fog thicker, and it wasn't long before he was consumed by it.

"Good luck," Kim said quietly as she turned back to the train. She intended to keep that promise. Through that dark shell was some light, and she knew how to expose it, or at least had an idea.

After he was gone, she got on the train and started it up. With Yori, Rufus and Ron on board, they were off.

But Val wasn't far, watching the train disappear into the mist of the storm. He had a glum look on his face, feeling extremely conflicted about something.

"It's just not enough…"

* * *

It was going to be a twenty hour trip without stopping for gas or food. It was the only reason Kim didn't wait for her injuries to heal at the lodge or get sleep. She was going to get it here, and twenty hours was plenty of time. 

It had only been twenty minutes, and it felt like three hours had gone by, at least, to the only one awake. Kim was already asleep within a few minutes of starting the train, as was Rufus, and of course Ron. Although Yori didn't intend to stay awake, she couldn't sleep and chose to stay by everyone's side, while looking out the window to see leaves, trees and raindrops fly past her. It was extremely quiet, and strangely, rather peaceful.

Although Yori had been in on this for three days, she wasn't really able to take a moment and see what everyone had gone through. Although the physical changes were obvious, from Kim's short hair, Rufus' hair, and Ron's cursed mutation, her thoughts went deeper than that. Just by analyzing their faces, their closed eyes, she could almost see the pain they all suffered for the last year or so. The hidden sorrow in Kim's eyes, the anguish in Rufus', almost still in disbelief that his days as a caged rodent were no more, and the bitter hatred in Ron's closed eyes.

And he was the one she paid most attention to, still in complete disbelief that this was the transformation Kim talked about. Absolutely none of his physical features were recognizable. Yori thought that maybe the shape of his face would be the same, the shape of his eyes, his ears, or even his freckles. But not a single feature she remembered him for was there.

Although Kim somehow recognized him, Yori could not. But just by looking what he became, it was heartbreaking for her. She never imagined a day where Ron lost everything that made him Ron. Not just physically, but she did overhear the vocal confrontation he and Kim had prior to their duel. His choice of words, his deep and grave voice, no humor or laughter, and he spoke with so much hatred. Just the thoughts of so many changes was too much for her, and had to turn away. She could only imagine what Kim felt.

Even though she told Kim she wanted to help her out, and to make up for what happened in the Bay City crisis, there was another reason she decided to come on board. It was all about Ron. She tried to deny it herself, but she just couldn't live in a world where Ron was completely evil. But it was far from too late, and he could be saved. She would do anything to help him out, to keep him from danger and to ensure his safety.

She would always love him.

Somewhat depressed at these thoughts, she decided to rest, just gazing out the window and seeing what the rest of the jungle had to offer. It wasn't long before she had fallen asleep, too.

* * *

Something was wrong. 

Even in her sleep Kim felt it, and was awake in an instant. But she wasn't the only one. Yori woke up the exact moment she did, on guard before she could get on her feet. The tip of the sun had just come over the horizon of the desert, but the sunlight wasn't what woke them. They both kept silent, trying to hear for anything unusual. The noise of the train impaired their hearing of anything, though.

"Did you feel it as well? Yori asked.

"Yeah…" Kim answered quietly.

A minute passed but neither of them noticed anything. The train was still moving at full speed like it was when they fell asleep. Everything seemed normal.

Kim couldn't shake the feeling. "Hmm… Something's just no-"

All of a sudden, the train shook violently, knocking both girls to the front. Kim took a heavier blow though, flying straight into the cockpit with Yori inadvertently flying into her shortly after. Yori quickly helped Kim onto her feet after she got on her own.

"That wasn't the track," Kim said. "Something slammed right into us!"

Yori looked out the sides of both windows, but no part of the train was derailed. She didn't see anything either. However, both girls noticed something humming.

But again, the train suddenly shook accompanied with a loud bang from out back. Kim and Yori were able to grab onto the controls to avoid flying or falling. Something from above or close behind was causing this. Before the train was shaken again, they both ran toward the back of the front car to get on top of the train from outside. Kim reluctantly left Ron behind, but since the shake woke Rufus up, he'd keep watch. She also grabbed whatever weapons and equipment she had from her bag. Yori had already opened the door when Kim was done, and she quickly followed.

Kim was nearly knocked off the train from the sudden winds when she got onto the roof of the train, but normally the wind doesn't blow in two directions. Lo and behold, the girls hadn't come across undetected.

They were being ambushed by a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter.

Yori was about to say the obvious, that they were spotted, but for that reason alone she didn't. She had a hand ready on her sword and the other near one of her fans. Kim just glared at the machine, frustrated from both detection and woken up so abruptly.

"_KIM!"_ someone from inside yelled through a loudspeaker, _"YOU'RE NOT GOING ANY FARTHER!"_

The look on Kim's face was solid as she recognized the voice. "Sean…"

The helicopter increased its speed so that it was able to get closer to the two girls. It turned sideways when it was close enough, and its right door opened, revealing Sean, smoking a cig and sitting down comfortably on a stool. With how close he was, Kim could have easily grabbed him by the collar and yanked him off, if not for the M60 machine gun that stood between them.

"We're not done yet!" Sean yelled, briefly taking the cig from his mouth.

Kim wanted answers. "Sean, why are you doing this? What do you really want? There's more to this than just some stupid obsession!"

Sean only chuckled. "And what if it's just that? I have my orders to capture you dead or alive. We could have done this the easy way, but there's not a girl alive who dares says no to me!" The same garbage as usual. "But I'm not going to ask you if you'll consider dating me this time around! This journey has no destination, Kim!" But then, he noticed the girl behind Kim. "YOU'RE STILL ALIVE?" Just when he thought he killed the real Yori in the jungle, it turned out to be the last decoy. It just didn't expire and show its true form until after he left.

Yori briefly smiled at him.

"No matter!" he yelled. "The more the merrier! Just by pulling the trigger I could end your life in an instant, Kim… but no… we're going to have some fun. It ends here!"

"I couldn't have said it better myself, Sean…" she said, "This was old before it even began…"

Sean laughed at Kim's intimidation attempt. "You? You're going to take on a Night Hawk? With what?"

Kim really didn't have a direct answer. Most of her weapons weren't exactly made to shoot down helicopters, but she wasn't interested in that anyway. Sean was the only problem, but the helicopter was filled with boys and piloted by one of them. They were only following orders, not interested on hurting the girls. Kim needed to find a way to just stop Sean. She only smirked at him with no answer. She wasn't going to give him the details.

Sean merely scoffed. "Just as I thought."

The helicopter then slowed down so that it was at a fair distance from the girls, and high enough so that neither one would attempt to jump onto the machine. Sean tossed his cigarette out the door as he aimed the M60 right at Kim's heart. A cocky smile quickly turned into a serious face, filled with hateful determination. Kim's serious face was no different. They were both ready to finish this.

"You're mine, Kimberly Anne Possible!"

And so it began.

Sean began by firing the gun at the two girls. One of the things that had Kim and Yori at a severe disadvantage was the lack of room to move around, namely the sides. But that didn't force them to cower and just stand there. Instead, the girls actually ran toward the back of the train, which wasn't the opposite direction of the bullets. It threw off the way he was aiming at them, and the bullets weren't hitting their intended targets. The plane itself had to back up so that the girls couldn't run directly under it.

"Take her to the left!" Sean ordered.

The plane went parallel to the left side of the train, putting Sean in a perfect position to fire. But his intention wasn't to aim and fire. Instead, he sprayed the entire train with bullets in random directions, laughing maniacally as the girls were forced to evade in opposite directions; Yori toward the front and Kim to the back. Yori had pulled out her sword, swinging as she ran in efforts to deflect any oncoming bullets, but she was too fast on foot (besides, the rounds were armor-piercing). Kim had a harder time only because with the way he was firing, she didn't know whether or not anything was coming her way.

Unknownst to the girls, a bullet actually flew right past Rufus, not once but twice.

Kim pulled out her laser lipstick, hoping she might be able to get a shot with that. Unfortunately, the helicopter didn't stay in one place, and even if it did, she could have shot right past Sean and hit one of his boys. Other than the one piloting, they weren't doing anything to assist him. They only watched.

"Hit and run!" he then ordered.

The helicopter then moved to the left of the train to the opposite side. But Sean never let go of the trigger, firing at the girls as the helicopter moved. But just as the helicopter stopped, it moved back to the left side with Sean doing the same thing, and so on until the helicopter passed Kim.

Unfortunately for Kim, she was put in a position where all she could do was evade, and Yori was put in the same position. Well, sort of. After Sean sprayed the top of the train with bullets, the helicopter was placed at the very end of the train, with Sean facing the back. The helicopter stopped and turned counterclockwise, and Yori used this chance to throw a smoke bomb, hoping to blind the pilot. But it turned rather fast, allowing Sean to shoot the projectile before it got too close. Unfortunately for him, because of the direction the train and the helicopter were heading, the smoke still flew right at him, blinding him for only a second. It wasn't enough to give Kim or Yori an opening.

"Charge!" he yelled once he got his vision back.

The hawk then turned so that the nose was facing to the train's left. From there, it moved to its right, flying straight to the front of the train as Sean fired bullets upon bullets on the girls. This time, Kim and Yori didn't bother to move. The bullets went flying right past them, some not even close to hitting them. Sean didn't understand why this was, yelling with fury, but it was clear to the girls. He was too excited from the thrill of firing a machine gun in a moving helicopter. He was wasting bullets, thinking that one was bound to easily hit the girls with so many. But he lacked focus and patience, not taking his time to carefully aim at two targets and not paying attention to the recoil of the gun. Because it was lightweight, the recoil heavily affected Sean's aim. It was clear that this was his first time using the weapon.

But Kim knew something Sean didn't about the weapon he was using, developing a plan without even trying. With the way he was firing the gun and with all the dirt in the air thanks to the helicopter, all she had to do was do her best to evade and let the situation handle itself.

"Circle around!" Sean commanded.

Probably the easiest technique to maneuver, the helicopter went in a clockwise loop around the train, letting Sean continue to spray the top even more. Not only was he not bothering to aim carefully at the girls, but he didn't care for which one he aimed at. The best strategy for him would be to focus on one, aim carefully and fire when the time was right, at least against Kim since she didn't have any defense against the bullets except for her own evasive maneuvers. But he aimed at whatever girl he pleased. With a machine gun you could just instantly shoot anyone, right?

Then it happened. The gun stopped firing and he couldn't pull the trigger.

The gun jammed on him.

It was one of the many known problems with the M60 machine gun; it was prone to jamming. Kim completely anticipated this, though. When she and Ron had gone to Belize to save the jungle trainees who had gotten lost, among them was an officer, a Vietnam War vet. To kill the time before the helicopter arrived to pick them up, he decided to tell Kim some stories. One of his stories just happened to be about his experience with the M60, in which the soldiers he worked with complained about the gun. Jamming was just one thing.

And all this time later, Kim remembered. Expectedly, Sean let out an enraged yell. But he didn't bother with fixing it. Instead he kicked the gun out the door and closed the hatch, but not before yelling something to the pilot.

"Get out of the way! I'm taking over!" And once he took over the controls, he yelled something from the loudspeaker. _"Oh, have I got a nasty surprise for you, ladies! BRACE YOURSELF!"_

From the back of the train, Sean turned the helicopter forward and lowered it to the side. The actual vehicle was right next to the rear car, and it soon went flying to the front at full speed. This was nearly suicide, as the rotor blades were less than a few feet from hitting the surface of the train. Any lower and that was it for him. But this left the blades flying at Kim and Yori, and they wouldn't be able to jump over it.

But Sean wasn't low enough, well aware of the risks if the blades hit or got stuck in the train. Kim and Yori had to lay as completely flat as they could to avoid being torn apart, which they did, and the helicopter blades flew right past them. But they didn't get up, both knowing that Sean was about to do it again from the front and he did, intended to be a surprise attack. But the girls weren't harmed.

Again with the helicopter at the rear end, Sean was growing tired of this. The fight hadn't gone anywhere, and wasn't going to.

"_Screw it!"_ he yelled on the loudspeaker. _"Let's just get down and dirty!"_

What he did was slam the side of the hawk into the rear car, shaking it and the entire train. Although it was just inches away from derailing, it didn't, but it was enough to have Kim and Yori grabbing what they could, in this case slipping their fingers into bullet holes. But Sean did this repeatedly, enjoying the girl's reactions and having more fun with that than simply slamming the hawk as hard as he could into the train and completely derailing it.

Yori got on her feet and pulled out her sword. She wasn't holding it in the usual manner, and this got Kim afraid.

"I have to take it down!" Yori yelled.

"You can't!" Kim cried.

"I know! I don't wish to hurt all of them, but it's either them or us!"

She was extremely hesitant of what she was about to do, but had to do it. Like Kim, she wasn't interested in hurting the others, especially since they showed concern with the 'death' or her decoy in the jungle, and only wished they would forgive her. She took a brief moment to analyze the situation, and then threw her sword right above the cockpit, attempting to jam the rotor that spun the blades and immobilize the helicopter. Unfortunately, the result would be disastrous and perhaps fatal.

But Sean saw what she was doing and turned the helicopter aside. Instead, the sword hit the rotating blades, and Yori actually found the sword right back in front of her feet, slicing the surface wide open. Awkwardly convenient.

But there was another problem on the girls' hands that didn't make life any easier.

There was another Black Hawk approaching from behind Sean. Perhaps this was probably the 'nasty surprise' he mentioned.

"_I don't remember calling for backup!"_ Sean yelled from the loudspeaker. _"Stay out of this! She's MINE!"_

Apparently, the answer from the other hawk wasn't a nice one; it actually rammed into the hawk that Sean was piloting, which was also suicide. But the other hawk's nose just hit the back of Sean's; any closer and it would have hit the rotor blades.

"_Knock knock!"_ the pilot of the other hawk yelled upon impact.

Or perhaps not. Kim instantly recognized the voice, and out of pure disbelief she completely smiled, almost bursting into laughter. Yori recognized it as well with a reaction that was no less enthusiastic.

Sean was anything but, trying to get the plane back under control, forcing to move out of the way. _"Who are you and what the hell do you think you're doing?"_

"_I'm not letting you hurt anyone anymore, Sean!" _the pilot from the other hawk yelled._ "Stop the plane right now and get out of here! We can do this the easy way or the hard way!"_

Sean wasn't intimidated._ "I'll meddle with you later! Don't interfere!"_

But if Kim thought the voice of the pilot was a surprise, it wasn't over. The right door of the second hawk opened up. A blonde-haired girl with blue eyes stepped out, just enough for Kim and Yori to see her. She whistled at the two and waved one of her hands.

"Hi!" she yelled to Kim and Yori. "Long time no see!"

Kim was just in disbelief. "Jen and Nev? What are they doing here?"

But Sean wouldn't allow for the happiest reunion. _"That's it! You asked for it!"_ Realizing the hawk or its occupants weren't one of his, he tried to do exactly what Nev did to him. He quickly backed up and tried to slam the nose of his plane into the rear wing of Nev's.

"Hang on!" Nev yelled to Jen, who then grabbed onto something hard.

Before Sean's plane got close to his, Nev quickly maneuvered the plane sideways to avoid getting hit. Just as Sean's plane was supposedly going to hit his, he then raised the plane upward and flew to the train's left side, with Sean's on the right. Jen peeked her head back out the door again, showing Kim and Yori that she was armed with a handgun. In the back, Kim could see that there was a sniper rifle and some kind of modified assault rifle, along with a week's worth of food.

"We'll handle him!" Jen yelled to the girls.

"Jen!" Kim yelled. "Sean's the only problem! Not his boys! Don't shoot down their plane!"

"It's all right!" Jen yelled. "They're not as inexperienced as you think! They've been trained to survive things like that! Just get to the front of the train!"

Before Kim could protest, Yori grabbed her shoulder. "Believe me, Possible-san, I don't recall a moment where she didn't know what she was doing. And she won't kill anyone if you ask her not to."

Knowing that Yori worked with Jen for a year, Kim had to take her word for it. "Right…"

She then went to the front of the train with Yori, letting Sean and Nev duke it out airborne style. But their fight didn't last long, nothing but Sean trying to slam into Nev's plane and Killbourne showing off his new piloting skills with evasive maneuvers. Sean grew irritated that he wasn't clashing the way he wanted, but it soon came clear that Nev wasn't trying to just evade. He was trying to keep to the left of Sean's plane. Kim saw that Jen tried to take a sniper position in the plane, aiming as carefully as she could to take down Sean's hawk with one shot. She had the same idea Yori had, with taking out the rotor that spun the blades, sort of. Always one for a challenge, Jen wanted to try something different; she wanted to jam the rotors with one bullet.

Two things prevented this from happening. One, she couldn't get in a comfortable position to fire, and two, the fact that Sean's plane wouldn't stay in one position. Sean kept trying to crash his plane into the one she was in, and Nev fought to keep to his left. Sean was smart though, and fought to keep to Nev's left, preventing Jen from getting in a good shot.

Kim's own opinion of the girl. On one end, she was extremely serious and determined at what she tried to do, but at the same time, the girl was sometimes goofy, clumsy, and those who knew her questioned her sanity (including Nev), jumping from calm to serious and back in seconds.

"I'm getting in a better position!" Jen yelled as she witnessed Sean's plane fly in front of theirs and toward the left. She couldn't see it.

But if Kim thought she was crazy before, she hadn't seen anything yet.

Jen actually leapt off of the plane to attempt to grab onto the landing gear for a shot. But the Black Hawk didn't have landing rails as its landing gear. The closest thing resembling landing gear was the plane's wheels, the front one located right next to the door. Jen had quickly gone for that, and actually managed to wrap her legs around it, hanging upside down from the helicopter with her gun still handy.

"Take her up!" she yelled.

Kim was in disbelief, never thinking that Jen would do such a thing. "Man, she better not have gotten that from me!" she cried. "If she gets herself killed I am so blaming myself!"

"What? Did you say something?" Jen asked oh so calmly.

Kim shook her head and rubbed her face. "She's crazy…" Sweet irony.

Yori grabbed her shoulder again. "You have no idea, Possible-san. You have no idea…"

"Do I even want to ask?" Kim replied.

Yori shook her head. "I'll only mention these three things: A hot dog eating contest, a lot of Tabasco sauce, and several gallons of root beer. I will say no more."

Jen wouldn't stay fearless for long, as Sean realized he was being aimed at. He quickly shifted position from the left to the right side of the train, but he intended to go right under Nev's plane, catching the gunfighter in its path.

"Nev! PulluppulluppulluppullupPULLUP!"

But Sean heard it too, pulling his plane up the same time Nev did. Jen quickly saw that the spinning blades were headed straight toward her, but she didn't have much but a wheel to grab onto.

"CRAP!"

She cried and yelped as the blades flung her hair all over the place, but she was unhurt. Once the helicopter was on the other side, she quickly pulled her gun back out and let out an irritated battle cry as she aimed the gun.

"JACKASS!" she yelled. But she realized that she was actually in a better position, almost instantly having the gun aimed right where she wanted it.

And in seeing this, Sean's boys actually opened up the left hatch of the helicopter and jumped out and onto the train.

Now it was just Jen and Sean.

"This is where you fall down!" she yelled. She then pulled the trigger.

But the bullet didn't hit its intended target. In a way it did, but in a way, it didn't. The bullet actually hit the top of the plane, only a few inches away from the spinning rotors. However, the bullet bounced right off the armor and actually jammed the rotors just as she planned.

"The easy way…" Jen said quietly.

But the instant before that, Sean, realizing he was pretty much screwed, made with a last-ditch attempt to slam his plane into Nev's, but flew right under it, almost catching the girl with its blades again.

"_KKKIIIIIIIIIMMMMMMM!"_ he yelled just seconds before the helicopter crashed.

But just as scraps of metal were sent flying all over the desert, both Jen and Nev felt a slight jolt on their plane. Looking to the other wheel, Jen saw what appeared to be a grappling hook.

It was Sean.

He actually opened the cockpit and fired a grappling gun at the hawk, being pulled out of the helicopter before impact. Jen quickly went back inside the plane, and Sean had released himself, landing on the train right between his boys and Kim.

"I'm not finished yet!" he yelled at the two girls, which soon became three.

Jen leapt from the helicopter and landed on the train right in front of him, armed with a scythe.

"Say _herro_ to my _widdle fwiend!"_ she exclaimed.

She swung and spun the weapon around wildly in an almost superhuman manner; almost similar in the fashion Ron did with his spear. It was as if the girl had gone through some ninja training.

Kim quickly turned to Yori with a smirk. "You didn't…"

Yori shrugged her shoulders. "She asked…"

When Jen was done showing off, she held the weapon behind her with bitter eyes at Sean. "Oh no you don't! I'm not…" She paused with a shocked expression on her face, staring at the boy in front of her. "Holy crap, it's you!"

Sean got pig-headed with the girl looking at him, recognizing her. "Hmm… I didn't think you'd forget my face. Who could?"

Jen dropped her weapon, turning around to Kim. "You didn't tell me _this_ was Sean!"

"Wait, you two actually _know_ each other?" Kim asked, even in more disbelief than before.

Jen was the one to answer. "Remember that time I called you and told you about the douchebag with bad credit who tried to come onto me at the pizza place?"

"'Douchebag'?" Sean asked, insulted.

Kim remembered. "You told me the day he betrayed me. The one you broke a chandelier over his head? That's the _same_ guy?"

"Yeah!" Jen claimed. "At least I got a free meal out of it, but still! That's him!"

"But wait, you knew his name," Kim said. "I told you about Sean before he betrayed me and you said he was bad road."

"Yeah, but you didn't say his name was Sean _Hanteren!"_ Jen responded. "Had I known at first… ah, forget it. The past is the past."

"I knew," Nev said, suddenly standing between Sean and his boys. He actually landed the helicopter out back. He had a trenchcoat wrapped around his waist.

"Why didn't you say anything?" Jen whined.

"Uh… You… um… never asked," he said nervously before putting his attention to the one in front of him. "So much for 'no girl ever says no to me', huh Sean?"

"Screw you!" Sean yelled as he turned around, ready to pull out a gun, but Jen swung the scythe and knocked the weapon out of his hands from behind.

"Don't you DARE touch him!" she yelled as she leveled the weapon to Sean's neck. "Rest easy, Kim, he is so friggin' mine!"

But just as Jen was ready to take her weapon back out, she suddenly collapsed backward. Yori quickly grabbed her before she fell. Apparently Jen had been upside down for too long and the blood rush kicked in.

"Jen? Are you all right?" Kim quickly asked.

Jen let out a weak groan before answering. "…this wizard… needs food badly…"

"She's fine," both Yori and Nev said in unison. If she wasn't being serious, she was fine.

"Hey…" Jen said with a somewhat irritated tone, "How come stuff like that never happens to you, Kim? You hang from outside helicopters all the time!"

"I usually don't hang upside down, and when I do it's not for long periods of time," Kim plainly answered, making sound as simple as turning on a VCR.

Jen blew her hair upward, disappointed in herself. "Oh…"

"You did great, though, but don't worry about him," Kim said. "This is between me and him."

Now that Sean was standing right in front of her, it was just the two of them. Kim and Sean. But he had other ideas.

"Lest, Aeren, Veren, Sven, Ren! Shoot them!"

His boys were all armed with assault rifles, but they kept perfectly still.

"That is a direct order!" Sean yelled. "I said shoot them!"

But they didn't, and with Nev in front of them, they didn't bother to take him hostage. He merely stepped aside. Sean got even more furious when they all lowered their weapons and put them back on their belts.

"Not this time," Aeren said.

"Fight like a man for once," Lest told him.

"Really," Veren said with disappointment. "How about instead of making us grab people from behind and let you beat the helpless thing, why don't you do it alone for a change?"

Ren shook his head. "If you're supposed to be our commander, a so-called master of close quarters combat, prove it."

"You're not doing this the cheap way," Sven told his commander, "You're doing this fair, mono e mono."

"Fine!" Sean yelled furiously, "I don't need your help anyway!" he then turned back to his opponent. "Ready for some more, Kim?"

Kim cracked her knuckles as she got into a fighting stance. "I'm fine, but I can't say I'm so sure about you."

The train's journey seemed endless. But it was time to finish it. Kim and Sean, mono e mono, with both of their colleagues watching.

Sean mimicked what Kim did, cracking his knuckles. "You're mine, Kimberly Anne Possible!"


	22. 21: The Last Stand

Another long one. Brace yourself.

**Chapter 21: The Last Stand**

**

* * *

**

Kim told herself she'd stop doing it. But she had a thing for falling for it.

Underestimating your opponent.

Sean's skills were questionable in the field, but not in hand-to-hand combat. The second he repeated himself, again saying 'you're mine' with Kim's full name, he had already grabbed one of Kim's hands, twisted it, and slammed her to the ground. Kim got up as it were nothing, but it reminded her of what Sean was capable of. After all, when they first fought inside the train in Area 46, she couldn't touch him.

But so much had changed then. Back then, she was depressed, lacked focus, and nearly hopeless of finding Ron. But in nine days, she was back. Calm and cool, focused and more determined than ever to save her Ron. Sean wasn't going to get in the way. He was tough, but she could take him.

The stance Sean took was a peculiar one, in which his left arm was crossed toward the side, and his right arm crossed over his chest, his hand right next to his face. Sometimes he jumped toward Kim, and sometimes jumped back, a method to throw Kim off. He did it again, backhanding Kim with his right fist, or at least tried to. Inches before it was away from her face, she caught it and single-handedly threw him over her, but before his body hit the ground, she used her own body weight to crush him between her and the ground.

Knowing this battle wasn't going to be simple, Sean's boys backed up, giving the two enough room to fight. Nev managed to sneak across to the other side with Yori and Jen, who were watching carefully. If Sean's boys interfered, they would too. Although they rebelled against Sean, that could've been an act.

Kim and Sean continued, with Sean trying to surprise Kim with a sudden offensive. He went in with a hard right hook that could've knocked Kim out in an instant, but she moved to his right side and let the fist go past her. She tried to counter with a spinning right kick aimed at his head, but he turned around with the momentum of the punch and blocked it with his left arm. With his back exposed to Kim, she could have easily finished the fight here, but Sean came back with his own spinning kick. Kim grabbed the leg, and with Sean standing on only one, she could have thrown the leg upward and have him fall off balance onto his head.

She tried to throw it aside instead, but Sean didn't fall down, trying to keep his balance on one foot. Suddenly, he spun his body and went airborne, kicking Kim across the neck. It was enough to send her flying off the side of the train.

"KIM!" her team yelled.

Sean still hit the ground, but he quickly went to where Kim had gone off, expecting her to be hanging on or something. She was nowhere to be seen, and none of the windows of the train were broken.

He only groaned. "What a disappointment."

Suddenly, it felt like a car crashed into his spine, and he found himself eating bullet-pierced metal. When he looked up to see what it was, he found Kim standing there, patting some dirt off her shoulder with one hand and putting her grappling gun away with the other. She actually did fall off, but used her grappling gun to get back on. She then snuck to the other side of the train between cars and snuck up behind Sean, slamming her knee into his back, grabbed his shoulder and slammed him to the ground. It helped that no one said anything to give her away.

"What a disappointment indeed," Kim said with a smirk, with her standing and Sean laying on the ground.

Nev let out a puff of air, holding his hands over his mouth earlier. "Geez, Kim. For a second there I thought he got you."

Kim only smiled at him. "So not the drama, Nev."

Sean then pulled himself up, ready to go again. He quickly went in with a right hook, but faked it, and immediately when in with a left one. Kim grabbed with her right hand, then spun her back against him, slamming her shoulder and elbow into him. She released her left hand from his arm, but instantly he grabbed hers. He wasn't sent flying back, and with his other arm he wrapped it around Kim's neck, choking her. She shot her leg up to kick him in the head, and did so, but he wouldn't loosen the grip. She leaned her head forward and shot it back, head-butting him, which did it, and tried to throw him over her shoulders. But Sean knew how to escape the move, running the direction of the throw and past Kim.

But Sean still found himself eating metal. All Kim had to do was let her foot out and let him trip over it.

He shot both of his legs upward as he got up, but he was too far from his opponent to do anything effective. As he did before, he tried to grab and grapple Kim, and sometimes did, but she tried to do the same thing to him, and at times they trapped themselves in bad positions, both having to snap out of it to avoid getting hurt. When it came to just punches and kicks, Sean had more aggressive moves that were easier to detect, but when Kim tried perform reversals, he wouldn't budge. She on the other hand went with more speedy punches and kicks, but Sean distanced himself. It wasn't really a difficult fight on Kim's part. All she had to do was wait for that moment to get her best move in, or at least a really good one. More often than not, the fight was more based on grapples and throws. At one point Sean slammed Kim to the ground, who from there grabbed him and slammed into the train, and he did the same thing to her.

Yori noticed something none of the others did, though. Because of Sean's onslaught earlier with the machine gun, there were several bullet holes throughout the roof of the entire train, but Kim and Sean had been fighting on one car. Every time one of them was slammed against the surface, they dented the metal further, to the point where the ceiling of the inside was starting to fall apart. Chances were the car was going to cave in.

Kim went in with a spinning kick, one aimed at his neck. He grabbed it just as it was about to hit him, but before he could throw Kim off balance, she attacked with her other leg, aimed at his head, which went flying over it. He pulled his head back just in the nick of time. This could have sent Kim crashing into the metal from her own momentum, but she landed on it. Because the leg Sean was holding was still near his neck, she went to kick his head again.

But she did more than just that. Instead of actually trying to kick him, she actually wrapped both legs around his neck. She twisted her body as it fell, throwing Sean into the ground. The thing was, Sean saw something Kim didn't. He didn't fall into the ground, but instead saw the ground move at a high speed. He was thrown off the train.

But he noticed he didn't hit the ground, along with a slight tug at his feet. He turned his head to see Kim, who grabbed his foot.

"Aw, Sean…" she said in a playful tone, "Leaving already?"

But he was confused. "What the hell do you think you're doing?"

Kim held up two fingers with the other hand. Anyone who heard of her knew at least one of them. "One: I don't kill people, I save them," but then her calm eyes turned aggressive. "Second: It's so not over."

She hurled Sean back up, who tried to use that opportunity to kick or punch her on the way back up. He missed and flew past her, but landed safely on the car.

"I'm glad you're _so_ grateful…" Kim said sarcastically.

Sean grew more aggressive in his punches and kicks to where Kim couldn't block them anymore. He performed a spinning kick to Kim's side that she blocked with both arms, but the leg only pushed her, and almost off the car. She quickly went in low to avoid this and slid her body toward Sean's other leg, tripping him and sending him flying past her. He managed to perform a somersault, landing on his feet. But then he quickly dove in after Kim before she could get up.

Kim almost cried in pain when all 200 or so of those pounds landed on her, but there was more to it than that. Sean's knee was digging into her gut, right where Kim had been stabbed in the cursed Guilin shrine to get the last statue. It wasn't critical, but the injury hadn't healed yet. Sean had her pinned to the car and took advantage of the moment by trying to bombard her with his hardest punches, but Kim crossed her arms over her face. Sean quickly pulled both her arms off and head-butted her, and immediately starting delivering his hardest punches across her face.

Nine punches, and she showed no signs of consciousness. Eyes closed, hands in their default non-stretched position, nothing.

"Kim!" Jen yelled. "Get up!"

But she wouldn't. She wasn't moving.

Sean was satisfied, getting on his feet, but expecting Kim to wake up and make some kind of surprise counterattack, but nothing happened. She was out.

"Possible-san! Wake up!" Yori cried.

Seeing that his fallen opponent wouldn't get up, Sean grabbed Kim's head with his left hand, turning her around so that she was facing away, and formed a fist with his right one. He was going to deliver one last blow.

"Have you ever had your face engraved in sharp metal?" he asked. It was a question he used to ask when taking on opponents, before he lead a team of five. But the last words were often replaced with wood, concrete, stone, marble, and all kinds of surfaces.

Suddenly, one of Kim's feet shot upward, almost dislocating Sean's jaw with a sickening crack. Her eyes then shot wide open, and with the momentum of the kick Kim launched herself upward with a somersault and landed on her feet. Sean was holding his jaw and yelling in pain, reaching for a knife on his belt. Kim quickly kicked it out of his hand, before hooking her foot onto his neck, pulling his head toward her, then practically stomped his head into the train.

"No, but you have." She stood almost in a proud stance, until she rubbed the back of her short hair in pain. "Ow… didn't anyone ever tell you _not_ to grab a girl by her hair?"

But Sean was putting up quite a fight… pulling his head out. Kim had done more damage than she thought she did. Sean struggled to pull his head out of the metal, fearing how he looked, although he only suffered a few scratches and some cuts from the sharp bullet-pierced metal.

Irritated beyond belief, he yelled as he ran toward Kim. And he was sent flying back much faster than he ran. All his opponent did was slug him across the face as hard as she could. Sean still got up, but his vision went groggy, he could barely stand up straight, and he felt like hell all over. The last two blows took more out of him than he thought.

"Come on, Kim!" Nev yelled. "Finish it!"

Sean refused to give up, though, and still tried to deliver. But no matter what he threw at Kim, she reversed the move against him.

He first came in with a right hook, but it was too far away. Using that momentum, he delivered a spinning left kick that came in across the top of Kim's head, which would easily knock her face into the ground. But before the kick became a threat, she quickly ran low past him, grabbing his stationary leg and pushing it upward, forcing him to fall on his face with a hard bang.

"Woo! Go Kim!" Jen shouted.

Sean tried to charge himself into his opponent, but she dove under him with her arms extended, both of which tripped him. He actually flipped in the air and fell on his back.

"Is that your best, Sean?" Veren shouted.

Sean attempted to kick Kim across her neck, but she grabbed it and shoved the leg upward, forcing him to fall on his back.

"There you go!" Sven yelled.

Sean went airborne and did a forward somersault, crossing his arms and putting his legs together, thinking that his feet would come down on Kim's forehead. She grabbed both feet single-handedly, but with nothing grabbing his head, klunk.

The metal started to creak. Everyone heard it.

Sean struggled to get up again, wobbly walking to the sides, trying to grab whatever weapons he could on him, but he found nothing.

Kim somewhat felt pity for him. _'So… this is desperation really is…'_ she thought to herself.

Again, he charged at her, but she stood still, popping her arms and cracking her knuckles. The instant Sean was about to dig his fist into Kim's face, he was pulled even faster, and felt Kim's elbow slam into his gut, completely knocking the wind out of his body. He tried to pull his hand back, but Kim pulled him toward her and again slammed her elbow into his gut. He could barely move, but Kim was going to deliver that one final move that would end the fight for good.

Again, he pulled back, and again, she pulled him right back in. But instead of thrusting her elbow into his gut, she actually pushed her head as hard as she could into him, pushing forward and upward like a bull would, yelling the whole time. It was more than enough to send Sean flying high into the air, flipping backward so his back was parallel to the train.

"Wow…" most of them said. It was clear they underestimated Kim's strength, and they weren't really intending to.

But to make sure he would stay down, Kim leapt in the air and did a front somersault, but extended her leg out. Her heel came crashing down on Sean's gut as he fell, sending him crashing into the train even faster.

The roof completely collapsed on impact, sending him crashing into the car below.

And Kim was taken along for the ride.

Everyone quickly ran to the hole to see the outcome, but were all blinded by an explosion of smoke. When it was over, though, Kim had already gotten back up to the roof next to her comrades, rubbing the back of her hair. Sean on the other hand wasn't so lucky, breaking several tables, chairs, what looked like a poker set and was buried under some shelves.

But he was actually still conscious, only able to move an arm and his fingers, groaning weakly and squeezing Kim's head with his fingers through his eyes. He passed out soon after, and his boys reluctantly went in to get him out.

Nev chuckled with crossed arms. "An expected outcome… You okay, Kim?"

"I'm fine," she said as if nothing ever happened. "He's tough, but I've had much tougher fights with Shego blindfolded…" She looked at everyone on her team, but Nev and Jen seemed to be the ones most excited about her victory. "Thanks… both of you guys… but what are you doing all the way here in the first place?"

Everyone seemed to be surprised with all that was going on, with the third car somewhat destroyed and with a Black Hawk parked in the back, that the train was still rolling at full speed. Because of Sean's boys, they all went to the second car.

Nev decided to explain, popping his back before doing so. The flight wasn't the most comfortable one for him. "There was something important that Wade needed to tell you, but I guess your communicator was destroyed earlier. I guess it was so important that you needed to know ASAP, but he wasn't in a position to tell you himself. So why not call the person who makes experimental weapons and vehicles and jets?" he asked sarcastically. "He still owes me…" That's how Kim first met him after all. He was a prime provider of some of Wade's hardware, used to make Kim's gadgets among several other things.

Kim was impressed. "So you and Jen came all the way over here for that?"

"Well… what can I say?" he asked, somewhat embarrassed. "I like to give a helping hand when I can, and it's the least I can do after everything you've done for me. Besides, imagine yourself put in a position where you can't use anything that releases an outgoing signal. Computers, TV, phones, games… and not being able to get some sunshine. Makes it that much easier to decide to go a few thousand miles."

"Believe me…" Jen said, who was all better and standing, "We've both been meaning to get out of the state for awhile, anyway. Our own little vacation, right Nev?"

"If you consider flying all the way to South America in a chopper just to have birds nearly fly into your windshield, have refuels that take hours, don't have windshield wipers in the rain, and be attacked by another hawk a calm and relaxing vacation to get away from everything, I might be inclined to agree. But at least the music's better, though the radio signal could be a lot stronger."

"You forgot to mention the food!" Jen cried. "I made a week's worth of delicious food for the both of us before we left!"

"Us? YOU ATE IT ALL!" he yelled frantically. "I'm left with a tiny bag of Doritos while you're stuffing your face with tacos!"

So that week's worth of food Kim thought she saw were actually empty bags and containers.

"I'm sorry!" Jen cried with eyes about to tear up, but with a sudden change, "I was kinda born that way, so you have to deal! Come on, anorexia scares me! I'm _not_ eating less and turning out like some of these teen celebrities…" Suddenly, her voice changed. "Besides…" she then put her hands on her hips, speaking slowly, "I'm not complaining about my figure… What about you…?"

Jen's figure (or just her), despite her ferocious appetite, was what most guys dreamed of, arguably more attractive than Kim depending on tastes. Most of them often mistook Jen as Kim's twin because their eyes were almost exactly alike, despite different eye colors; blue and green. Nev, who could never tell whether she was toying with him or was actually being seductive, just couldn't give her a solid answer. It really wasn't that easy telling a girl how she looks, since there was probably one right answer and a thousand wrong ones, even though he knew her feelings for him. The fact that she winked at him almost had blood flooding out of his nose.

"Uh… yeah… okay…" he said nervously, sniffing loudly, "I'm not in right now, please call back later."

Jen dropped her arms, looking disappointed. "Weenie."

"ANYWAY…" He changed the subject. "Look, vacation or not, we couldn't relax anywhere anyway. Since we're officially labeled as Kim's allies, we're also being hunted down as well," he then turned to Kim, "which brings me to what Wade had wanted to tell you…"

At this point, Sean was thrown back onto the roof of the car in front of the four, who had regained consciousness but barely.

"What's the sitch?" Kim asked. "If you came all the way here it's gotta be good."

"Wade said that he's got some bad juice on the whole black suit conspiracy thing," he answered.

"Bad juice, huh?" Odd choice of words. "Did he find out who's behind it?" Kim hoped to get a good answer here.

"No," Nev regrettably answered. "What happened was that he hacked into just about every justice organization out there. Global Justice, Peace Order, Hell Cops… you get the idea. But when he hacked into the Hard Police mainframe, there was some extremely peculiar information…"

Sean's boys raised their heads at this, curious. Sean only mumbled, trying to move.

"What, what?" Kim wanted to know.

"Well, I'd tell you…" Nev said with his eyes on Kim's defeated opponent, "But I think we'll let the one who knows everything spill the details himself…"

As if he was born without fear, Nev walked up to Sean and hooked his foot around his, pulling Kim's beaten opponent toward him and let his body slide toward the girls. Sean's boys had no objections.

Kim quickly grabbed him by the collar of his shirt. Despite that he was twice her weight, she held him up in the air quite easily. "So Sean, what's really going on here? Why have you been after me this whole time? Just _what_ is your problem?"

Sean only coughed, cackling weakly. "I won't tell… I never will…"

Kim shook him even more. "Sean, answer me!"

Aeren sighed. "It's not going to work, Kim. He's been trained not to speak."

"It's one of the reasons he was promoted to commander at his age," Lest said. "When he says he won't speak, he won't."

Kim just kept looking at Sean's maniacal eyes, with an assured smile on his face. They weren't lying. "He's gotta crack somehow," she said. "Any ideas?"

Jen picked her ear, with 'oops' written on her face. "I stopped using truth serums after most people had an allergic side effect and mad itching and burning on the left foot… can't help you there. Yori?"

Yori looked embarrassed. "There were known smoke powders that worked the same way… and resulted in the _exact same_ side effects, so many are still working to perfect it. Killbourne-san?"

Nev chuckled with a look that told everyone they'd regret asking him. "Shoot him!" he said with shrugged shoulders.

Kim glared at him. "We want answers, Nev, we don't want to kill him!"

"Who said kill? Shoot him in the leg or something. He'll live!" he said again with shrugged shoulders.

All of Sean's boys shook their heads.

"Nope," Ren said, "Been there, done that. Not happening."

"Spare me the details…" Kim requested.

"Uh…" Nev tried to guess. "Kick him in the groin?"

"He won't have the energy to speak after _that_…" Veren said, covering his face.

Kim only glared at Nev further. "Get sadistic much, Nev?"

"Hey, blame blondie, not me!" he said, pointing both fingers to Jen.

"HEY!" she yelled.

He went on, "Spend a couple of years with her and you'll start to think the same way she does! I _think_ it, but she actually _does_ it! I kid you not! Ask anyone who's worked with her for say, at least six months."

Yori instantly turned around with crossed arms, leaning back and forth, whistling suspiciously. No one was going to get any input out of her.

Sean continued laughing, "The only way I'm talking is through torture, Kim. I may not know everything about you, but in the months I spent with you, I learned what kind of girl you are. You don't have it in your heart to torture somebody. You can't win. You'll never get your answers…" The whole time he was staring at the clouds in the sky.

He was right. Although Kim had beaten him to a pulp, it wasn't like her to torture someone and cause serious pain just to get answers. Even if she tried, she just couldn't do it. Yori couldn't do it, Nev definitely wouldn't despite his thoughts, and Sean's men were anything but heartless.

As for the other, well…

"This isn't going anywhere…" Jen said with an annoyed tone, "I guess we'll have to resort to unconventional methods. Kim, let him go. I'll get him to talk…"

Kim did so, but when she saw that Jen was reaching for her modified assault rifle, she quickly got in the way.

"Jen. NO." Because Ren said shooting him wouldn't work, Kim knew that Jen was going to do more than just that. "Look, I know he's a jerk, but that's too much."

But Jen's serious look matched up with Kim. Jen suddenly smiled, putting a hand on Kim's shoulder. "Listen, Kim… Maybe the people you've taken down don't require hardcore interrogation, but in Bay City, most criminals do. You know I am not kidding you when I say you can't get through to everyone, not unless you make an impression. Sometimes it scares them, sometimes it scars them. Don't give me that look like I'm proud to do it. I'm not. But who else will?"

Unlike Kim, Jen has killed criminals; although it was proven none of them could be turned back to the side of light. Second chances only resulted in more crime and death with them.

"Jen, you're not spilling blood on my watch," Kim told her. "Bend his arm, put him in a lock or something."

"Tried it," Veren said. "Nada!"

Jen just glared at Kim. "I've met his kind. You can do whatever you want, but he won't talk, period. But once he's close to death, if he values his life, he _will_."

But Kim kept firm and defiant. She really didn't like the sound of this and where it was going.

"Sorry Kim, but I can't let our personal feelings get in the way of what needs to be done," Jen told her. "I can't promise he'll live. Boys, grab her."

Suddenly, Kim found herself being suspended in the air by Sean's boys, all but one grabbing one of her limbs. They weren't in direct orders from Jen, but they agreed with the last thing she said.

"Guys!" Kim yelled. "Do something!"

Nev and Yori didn't answer, watching as Jen did her thing. Ferno quickly aimed the gun at Sean's ear.

Sean didn't appear intimidated at all with a huge smile on his face, even though it was clear he was petrified. "You… you can't shoot me… You won't… You're a girl…"

Suddenly, Jen aimed the gun at his leg and fired. Sean let out a painful scream, but Jen put the gun to his head before he could look at it.

"Point being?" she asked.

"Y… you're… you're sadistic!" Sean yelled.

Jen just looked at her nails. "Yeah, I get that sometimes, but I'm nothing compared to the likes of you. So, are you going to talk?"

"Hah! Never!"

"Told ya," Ren said.

Jen sighed. "Okay, you asked for it."

From there, Jen put away her gun and took out a grappling hook of some kind out instead. She latched it onto one of the bullet holes, then grabbed Sean by the same leg. She actually leapt off the side of the train, but the hook allowed her to stay on the wall. As with Sean, she was holding him upside down, but lowered his head closer and closer to the actual railroad.

"Are you going to talk?"

"You can't do it!"

"Nev and I already know what it is you're hiding! It doesn't matter to me whether you live or die!" Each second he was getting closer and closer to the tracks. He kept his arms inward and tried to hold his long hair to prevent it from flying. "I'll do it!" Jen yelled.

"I won't talk!"

"Oh well. Sorry, Kim, but he's gotta go!"

And then, Sean felt the wood supports of the rail brush his hair.

"I'LL TALK! I'LL DO IT! I'LL DO IT!"

"Good boy!" Jen smiled. It was then that she pulled him back up, but suddenly lowered him back to where he was, hair brushing and all. "You're not screwing around with me, are you?"

"NO! I'LL TALK! I PROMISE!"

Jen hurled herself and Sean back up onto the train. He was breathing heavily, scared out of his mind. She pulled out her gun again.

But Sean started laughing again. "Fool… I won't talk…" He found Jen's gun pointed at his crotch. "You won't, you…"

Sean let out a scream as Jen pulled the trigger, but the pain was felt only in his other leg. But the sight wasn't pleasant. Sean actually wet himself in front of everyone.

Kim just couldn't watch. The guy was indeed a jerk, but it was too much to see him suffer like this. "Are you having fun torturing him like this, Jen?"

"Torture?" Jen asked calmly with a face that showed no joy. "This is an interrogation. As for you, Sean, pull that off one more time and I'll do it… Now, TALK!"

But he wouldn't.

Jen rolled her eyes. "Time to bring out the big guns."

Everyone's eyes shot wide open with what happened next. Out of nowhere, Jen pulled out a rocket launcher and aimed it at Sean's transmission.

"I've got a lock on!" Jen said, looking through the scope.

"Okay… you win…!" Sean finally surrendered.

At this point, Kim was released by Sean's boys, who looked at their leader skeptically. It had grown cloudy, and it was starting to rain again. Nev quickly pulled his trenchcoat out and put it on.

"So…" Jen began. "You're going to tell us everything you know about your role in all of this."

Sean moaned weakly, humiliated and embarrassed. "It was back in August when we received orders to capture you dead or alive… But the actual operation would go into full throttle a few months later. Preparations had to be made to ensure it would go off without a hitch. Such a high-profile person such as yourself, the so-called legend Kim Possible… you wouldn't be captured so easily. It was no secret that you went to a godforsaken place like Upperton U., so I took the liberty of disguising myself as a typical college student. That way I could fool you and gain your trust, as well as understand my enemy."

"I know that much… can't say you really gained my trust, though," Kim told him. "But these orders… who exactly delivers these orders at Hard Police?"

"I wish I knew the answer myself… if anyone does it, I've never met them… I don't even know if they come from anybody, a group of people or whatnot. We just receive them electronically… no names, no faces… I even wonder if they're shapeless… perhaps a group of illuminati-like beings… I've heard nothing and all my questions have been ignored. But that doesn't stop everyone from following their orders, even the five who stand beside you. Whoever they are, they're probably the true leaders of all of the organizations, even your beloved Global Justice… But I've dealt with these unanswered questions for years… you get used to it. But when I learned I was going to meet you, the living legend herself, the girl who could do anything, probably the one person capable of balancing school and hero work… but no, you weren't so legendary… you're not even worthy of the title… You weren't invincible, you weren't incredible… you were just an ordinary girl, depressed out of her mind because her boyfriend left her and wouldn't come back, who spoke of nothing else… Ron this… Ron that… I thought it couldn't get any worse, but it did. That drug riot occurred around campus and you were credited for aiding the police in the arrests of thousands of students. The news reported a smaller number before the official numbers came in. Reliable, isn't it? Then you became a loner and everyone hated you… glad you could join us on planet Earth, Kim…"

"And the whole time you tried to become my friend, or talking specifics, more than that," Kim said. "But the whole time you were ordered to keep close to me so you could eventually kill me. Capture or kill me, dead or alive…"

"No…" he suddenly said. "Well, yes… I did do that, didn't I?" he chuckled briefly. "But…"

He stopped talking for a while, obviously hiding something. He grew scared when Jen turned on a laser sight on her gun and hit his eye red.

Finally, he confessed. "_My_ orders _weren't_ to capture you dead or alive… Far from it… but I couldn't."

"What were your orders, then?" Lest asked.

Sean coughed more before answering. "My original orders… Kim Possible… were to _protect_ you."

"Wait… what?" Kim couldn't help but ask. "But…"

Sean went on. "Everyone found the sudden orders to capture you dead or alive without reason was too suspicious. Just ask the boys… While we were all aware of what happened a year ago with the attack on Senator Brown, we all knew that it was all Legion… I mean Valia Ryan. It was only then that his classified file, due to being the pupil of Enya "Sapphire Cypher" Fayce, a real and true legend you'll never become, became declassified. Brown was pretty high caliber… when she was attacked and poisoned, thanks to a flash drive Ryan left in the senator's computer, only did we learn of everything Brown did in the past; most involved aiding our enemies and getting weapons in return. Everyone knew before that she wanted to shape the world in her vision, a woman who once wanted to save the streets but gave into her greed. But Ryan gave us everything. Plans, evidence, phone conversations and video feeds. We all knew you had nothing to do with it, and even when it was officially announced, that didn't stop those who shared her same dream and her friends in the political grapevine to label you as a threat to society."

"I remember…" Kim said as she rolled her eyes. "First they complain I do stunts that girls try to perform and injure themselves, but it says on my site never to do anything I do. But to everyone's surprise, no one did and no one got injured. That's why my parents let me continue to do it. Then they said I set an example by saying that the only way to solve anything is through violence. Did they forget the time I negotiated with that woman who held those doctors hostage because she wanted her daughter to have a heart transplant? That guy who was about to jump off the building? I fight a lot, but that's not all I do. Then they even had the nerve to say I'm too slim and putting a bad example for girls. What will they think of next?"

Sean wasn't listening half the time and went on. "Regardless, everyone else knew you were innocent in what happened to the senator, and truthfully Ryan did all of us a favor. So when we received these orders to capture you for what he did, it confused everyone, and most of us knew something was wrong. Global Justice seemed to be in on it as well. But when the final reward amount was announced, an unimaginable six hundred billion dollars, everyone forgot about their own pride and dignity and wanted that money. And in truth, it would all be worth it if it gave them the chance to fight you, a dream duel for many. No one knew or even bothered to think how a single human being or organizations had accumulated so much without it being leaked, though the government prevented Ryan's earnings through the Senator, Frederick Elurt and the Forefathers from going public. No one bothered to think they were one and the same, and even if they did, we all heard the stories of him defeating the world's top agents without breaking a sweat or being touched. His very name struck fear into many. He wouldn't be worth it, but you would. Even those who did nothing but do the right things in their boring pathetic lives, those who had been serving justice for generations… they all threw their pride away to fulfill their greed, their reward for a duty that offered none. Such is the fate of doing good deeds for others…"

"And you did, too apparently," Kim retorted.

"No… The orders to capture you dead or alive went online at 600 hours nine days ago. Although it was my duty to protect you from anyone who did try to kill you… I couldn't. No… Instead, I decided to kill you. This was the perfect opportunity to destroy you, and I wanted to so badly."

"But why? What on earth did I ever do to you?"

"You said no…" he snarled. "All I ever wanted was to find that perfect woman and make her mine. And then I met you. I could only imagine the world famous crime-fighting teen hero. Imagine that title, the boyfriend of Kim Possible. But every single thing I did, every single time I asked, everything I did for you, you said no. You never gave me a chance, you never gave it any thought, you gave it no consideration whatsoever. All because of your ex-boyfriend who's probably dead or sleeping with another girl right now."

Kim was almost ready to choke Sean with that comment, but held back. "FYI, Sean, Ron was possessed by cursed mystical powers he gained a few years ago. He's alive, and he's actually in the front car put under a sleeping spell by Val. We're off to the Amazon to save him by taking the cursed powers out of his body, and returning him and them to their normal state. He'll finally be back to normal then."

Sean burst into laughter. "Powers? Do you honestly expect me to believe that? There's no such thing as magic powers or the supernatural, only cutting-edge technology!" He already forgot Yori's decoys.

Kim covered her face and shook her head. "You are clueless… but the point is, he is alive and I will turn him back, and you can't stop me. But you're telling me the only reason you wanted to kill me, the reason you betrayed your orders, was because I refused to be your girlfriend? Do you have any idea how STUPID that sounds?"

"How pathetic," Jen thought out loud. "I've met some really pathetic people in my career, but pal, you take the cake."

Kim went on. "Look, I'm loyal to Ron now, got it? I told you then, and I'm telling you now. But even if I was interested in you, you didn't even let us become friends! You were always in the shadows hiding, probably under orders, but then once I discovered all your weapons in your apartment – which I'm guessing was weapons you were given, and those tapes of me in action were probably there so you knew who were looking for and what to expect – you just kept hitting on me over and over, and I never even got to know you. Or maybe I did. The Sean I got to know was an impatient, annoying, sick-minded, unreliable, pig-headed, inconsiderate, greedy and selfish blowhard."

"Sounds like you have a thing for having partners like that…" he snickered, referring to Ron.

"I realize something," Kim said. "Maybe back in the past Ron did get in the way and I grew irritated, sometimes even angry at him. But you know what? He was a better partner than you'll ever be. You might have helped me out in missions, you always did my homework for me without me even asking – though I tossed it and did it myself – but that's nothing, Sean. You never respected my thoughts, my privacy, my beliefs and what I was born up with. Ron did. You never cared if I had a bad day, and when I did, you never made a single attempt to cheer me up, to say that it's okay and life will go on. Ron did. He even went out of his way to make my day with a surprise gift or meal. Not something I expect, but it was a sweet gesture. I don't ask or demand that people treat me that way, but he did. He didn't do it to attract me or to better his chances of dating me. No. He did it out of the goodness of his own heart. You on the other hand did everything expecting more in return, and for that reason alone. Ron didn't get anything in return at first, but that's one the reasons we hooked up, so I could prove to him how much I appreciated him for those moments and loved him for it. He didn't expect it or demand it. He might not have been the perfect partner in combat, but he was and always will be my best friend."

Sean coughed. "I don't see how you could fall for someone so unattractive… a pretty girl like you deserves a pretty guy… like blondie over here and that one jerk…" referring to Killbourne.

In retaliation, Jen cocked her gun. "That's _not_ why I like him. I've met all kinds of pretty boys, and only one hasn't treated me like some kind of hooker. You want to know something? I had feelings for someone who was actually a cyborg kept alive by outdated technology, although now he's fully human again. Guess what? Even though I found out and even saw the machinery pump his blood with my own eyes, not once did something change between us. He never changed as a person, which mattered the most. I might be silly, but I am _not_ a shallow person."

Kim really didn't want to speak to Jen, looking at the red stains in Sean's pants. "I'm going to tell you something, Sean. The world is filled with all kinds of pretty faces, but how many people do you find that you're willing to do anything for them, even take bullet for them, and know they'll do the same for you? Not many. They can be handsome but they don't have to be. They can be born with pretty faces, but not great personalities. When it comes to everything's Ron done for me, I'll take that over any pretty boy. I learned that lesson the hard way with Erik, but if it wasn't for that maybe I wouldn't have realized what I was looking for was with me the whole time."

Sean laughed. "Delusional women… trying to convince me that nice people actually succeed in life…"

"You really don't know anything about them, do you?" Yori asked him.

"All my life I've been fighting my way to have one, a woman I could finally call mine and get some. Being nice is a joke. Tell me of all the successful people who actually got lucky because of being nice, being yourself, and all that nonsense! The only reason nice people exist is for them to be used and manipulated because they're weak. It's the only way to get anywhere in life, to have that control over others. Just as girls get guys that way, I'll get a girl that way…"

"And that's why you're living the high life in the pimpmobile with all the ladies, huh?" Nev asked sarcastically.

"Screw you!" Sean yelled. "I got sick and tired of so many rejections, and Kim was the last straw! No more, I said, no more women would say no to me. Once I would kill Kim Possible, they would fear me and bow to my feet. But so many…"

"Well, gee…" Kim said, "If you actually treated a girl with respect and like a human being, like her for who she is and respects what she believes in, without being focused on 'the goods', then you might not have been rejected all the time. If pretty faces were everything, you wouldn't be complaining now, would you?"

Sean just growled.

Kim kept thinking. "But if what you just told me was true, Hard Police wasn't after me. They were actually trying to help. They too disobeyed orders with Global Justice to find out who's behind this."

"That's not all…" Sean said, "The Fingers had gotten the same orders to protect you as well, but much later than I did due to ranks, long after you accepted me as a battle partner. It was early in the morning hours when they received them. Because the orders were digital and not read-only, I changed them so they would join me in my cause to destroy you."

Suddenly, Sean had five more gun barrels aimed at his head, all from his boys.

"You… did… WHAT?" Sven asked furiously.

"Hold on…" Kim told them. "Why?"

"That way they would follow their orders and I could manipulate them more easily," Sean confessed. "But that was done long before we entered Area 46. I could have called it off if you agreed to just one date. But no… Anyway, when I was in the process of that, I was doing my own investigation toward the matter and hacked into the mainframe. A lot of information didn't seem right at all, but I found a new document in a highly classified folder. It was there that I found a mysterious name before it was suddenly deleted."

"What was it?" Kim asked, grabbing him by the collar again.

"Lexis…" he claimed, "Someone or something named 'Lexis'. It was deleted right in front of me after I found out, but there was no other information. That's the truth."

"Lexis…" Kim whispered to herself. What could that be?

"That's all I know…" Sean truthfully admitted. "Now leave me alone… That's all you'll be able to get out of me."

He then sat up, groaning in pain because of where Jen shot him. He grabbed where his pants were stained red, then looked at his red fingers. He quickly ripped his pants open to see how deep the wound was and if he was in need of medical attention. But he quickly became confused.

There was no wound.

He did the same for the other leg only to find a bruise instead. But there was still blood on his pants, but no blood on his legs. Looking back to his blood-stained fingers, he noticed something peculiar, getting a closer view. The color wasn't crimson red. He then sniffed them, and his eyes shot wide open with a hard realization.

"Wait a minute… this isn't blood… IT'S **PAINT**!"

Jen only giggled. Kim slapped her head so hard she crashed on the train.

Sean was furious. "You mean… this entire time… you tricked me into thinking I was shot and bleeding… when you shot me WITH A PAINTBALL GUN?"

Jen smiled. "Guilty!"

Kim quickly got back onto her feet. Here she was thinking Sean was the victim of torture when it was all an act by Jen. "I can't believe you…" she said as she rubbed her hand down her face.

"Uh, sorry?" Ferno said nervously. "Like they say, Kim; if you can fool your friends, you can definitely fool your enemies. But come on. You've known me for over a year now, right? You thought I was some kind of torture sadist? You know me better than that!"

"Yeah, but… I mean…" Kim didn't know what to say. One instant Jen could be silly and goofy, and the next she would be serious, sometimes far too much. As Kim learned, not really. "Never mind…"

"And people wonder why I theorize that if you put Kim and Ron in a blender, you get Jen…" Nev said, clearly seeing her thoughts.

"And you guys knew?" Kim asked him and Yori.

They both nodded.

"It's not uncommon to fool your enemy to make them talk," Yori said.

"Far from the first time I've seen it," Nev answered.

"So how did you guys know he was going to talk with a paintball gun?" Kim had to know.

Jen explained. "Nev had the idea of modifying an AK with paintball rounds, and when someone gets hit and sees red, depending on whether they want to live or die, will react accordingly. If they don't fear death, they'll fight. If they do, they'll surrender. But Sean wouldn't talk, and I knew he just had to crack. And the reason? Any self-centered person values their life and are more prone in fearing death. But he was being stubborn, so I had to put his head over the railroad. No tricks there. And the rocket launcher? It doesn't have lock-on technology, and it's actually useless; the rocket's jammed in there."

"So it was really using his own fear of death against him," Kim realized.

Jen nodded. "He really thought I was going to kill him, so he gave in. That's all there is to it."

There was an awkward moment of silence afterward. Kim noticed that Jen was staring at something.

"Noticed the short hair, huh?" Kim asked, still not too pleased with it.

"Ah… that's what it was…" she knew something was different about Kim but couldn't put her finger on it, "I dunno. Play with it a little and I think it'll look fine."

They were all distracted when they heard Sean yelling his head off. He was being handcuffed by his boys.

"WHAT ARE YOU DOING?"

Sven issued him a Miranda warning.

"You IDIOTS!" Sean yelled. "Release me at once! I'm your commanding officer! You do exactly as I say whenever I say! That's your role as my soldiers!"

"I think not, traitor." Veren said.

"You're not the commander anymore," Lest told him.

"And we're not following your orders blindly," Aeren said.

"You are to accept your orders without question!" Sean yelled back at them.

"We don't do it by choice, Sean." Ren said. "Never did."

"The only reason we accepted our orders in the past was not just for the sake of duty and service, but because we agreed to them." Veren said.

"We fought because we believed in it. No more." Sven said.

"But this time, you went too far… questionable orders without reason," Lest said.

"All because you wanted to kill someone who rejected you?" Aeren asked.

"We're not your pawns blindly following orders, Sean," Ren said.

"We accepted our past missions because they helped at least one innocent." Veren said.

"You lied to us. But the whole time, we had suspicion you were up to something. And we have it all here on tape." Lest said with a smile, pulling out a recorder.

"_Instead, I decided to kill you. This was the perfect opportunity to destroy you, and I wanted to so badly"_ Sean's recorded voice said.

"You're being turned in, Sean. It's over." Veren said.

"We're free from your lies and deceit." Aeren said.

"The Fingers are no more. God, I HATED that name!" Ren said.

They all exclaimed, agreeing.

"We should go back to being called 'The Whispers' again. That was a cool name." Sven said.

They all exclaimed again, agreeing again.

After Sean had duct tape put over his mouth, The Whispers walked toward Kim.

"Listen…" Veren started. "Sorry about everything that happened. Nothing personal. No hardships?"

"No big…" Kim said with a smile. "I could kind of tell right away, and thanks for taking care of Sean."

"It's the least we could do after the way he deceived us," Aeren said. "But there's only one problem…"

"We'd take Sean back to HQ and have him suffer the consequences and put him on trial for his treachery…" Lest said, "We know why it was done, but… our ride was shot down!"

Jen found short of twenty eyes staring at her. "My bad!"

"Don't worry," Nev said, "We can provide a lift. Sorry about that."

"It's cool," they all replied.

So that was it. The Whispers apologized to everyone for what had happened, but especially to Yori for what happened in the jungle. It was clear to Kim that she had a new fan base, impressing them with the decoys she sent to distract Sean. Veren even offered if Yori needed apprentices, bodyguards, or help, to give them a call. She was flattered by all their kindness, almost blushing completely when he knelt down and kissed her hand. Aeren actually made a 'call me' gesture with his hand. She decided to thank them by telling them she could make arrangements for all five of them to be taught at a super secret ninja school, and boy were they ecstatic, finally able to learn the secret arts of the ninja.

Jen asked Yori for the same thing but Nev made sure the answer was a hell no. She'd destroy the cafeteria and starve the other students.

But what Sean told Kim was exactly the message Nev and Jen came to deliver, minus this Lexis person or thing. Now that they had to take the Whispers and Sean back to the states, it was time for them to depart. The Whispers and Nev loaded everything up in the hawk out back, and Kim and Yori just watched.

"Kim?" Jen asked from behind.

Kim had to turn around, noticing her friend was concerned about something. "What's up?"

"Well, I was wondering… oh… never mind… now's not the time to ask."

Kim put a hand on her shoulder. "Come on. Go ahead."

Jen turned away, but just came out with it. "How do you get a guy to like you? Just listening to the way you spoke about Ron…"

Kim knew the answer. "Jen… you remind him of Christie, a lot. She used to be a cook, a pretty but sometimes goofy girl. I'm not sure about appearance, but… I'm pretty sure he knows you won't do what she did, and even with that huge confidence boost of his that kinda reminds me of Val, not to mention the trenchcoat, I think that past experience still haunts him in a way."

Jen rolled her eyes, "Old crush slices up his organs for some final test by an assassination group called RNA, I know, then gets saved by Val… wait, where is he anyway?"

"He had his own business to take care of," Kim answered. "Why?"

"Nothing, just curious," Jen replied. "Well, I guess this is bye for now. I wish we could have done a lot more to help."

Kim almost started laughing. "You have _no_ idea how much taking Sean off my hands helps. But… I'm sure he'll come around, Jen. I know you're not a bad person deep inside."

"Thanks… That means quite a bit coming from someone like you, Kim. I just wonder if we'll start off the same way you and Ron did, near death and defeat and all."

"It could happen…" Kim said, looking out back. "Looks like they're ready to take off. But we can handle things from here on out. Yori and I will be fine."

Suddenly, both Kim and Yori were victims of a huge bear hug.

"It was great seeing and fighting with you two again!" Jen cried, then let go. "You guys come back soon and visit, ya hear? Nev and I will do what we can to try to unlock this mystery, find out what this Lexis thing is, and hopefully get some input from Wade. Sorry we couldn't provide you with weapons and equipment. It was kinda get up and go when Wade called."

"Speaking of him, how is he doing?" Kim asked.

Jen wasn't so sure. "The signal went bad in the middle of the convo, but he told us enough. I've been trying to regain it on the hawk, but there's too much interference. Nev didn't have time to make you a new communicator like the one you had before, but he made me one when this all started. I'll just give you mine and maybe you'll have better luck than I do." She then pulled the device out of her pocket and gave it to Kim. "I guess it's time… but you both take care and be careful!"

"Thanks again, Jen. We will," Kim said with a confident smile.

Jen then ran back to the helicopter, waving to the girls in her leave. She ran past Nev, who was just standing there looking at Kim and Yori.

"You gonna be all right?" he hollered.

"We'll be fine, Nev!" Kim yelled from a few cars down. "Thanks again!"

"Come home soon and don't forget Ron!" he said with a smile. He shot her a two-fingered goodbye gesture, much like Val normally did.

He then boarded the helicopter and closed the door. It rose from the ground, being left behind right after, and took off. It flew away from them, and soon disappeared in the rain.

Now it was just the two girls again.

"Ready for the Amazon, Yori?" Kim asked.

"Of course!" Yori answered excitedly.

* * *

The train's journey came to a safe end at the Amazon a few hours later. 

As the girls navigated through the jungle to find their destination, Rufus provided direction from Yori's shoulder, acting as their compass. Yori also carried Kim's backpack as Kim herself carried Ron over her shoulders, still sleeping thanks to the sticker Val put on his neck. It was a long way to the temple, but they had to walk quietly. On the way in, they saw several search vehicles from the train. The explosion of Sean's hawk, mixed with the railroad destination tipped them off. So far the girls hadn't run into any danger.

After what felt like hours of wandering through the rainforest, they found a small monkey temple that led underground.

Kim wasn't impressed. "Monkey Temple… why am I not surprised…"

Rufus then jumped ship from Yori to Kim. The Kunoichi chose to keep guard at the only entrance, and would do everything she could to prevent anyone other than Team Possible from coming in or out. She wished Kim the best of luck. Kim carried Ron as she went in, but Rufus volunteered to hold her backpack with the four Jade statues inside. He wouldn't have the super strength for much longer.

_00:27:52.54_

It was a dark corridor with unlit torches on the wall. When the light from outside started to grow dim, the torches lit up when Kim got close to them. She traversed calmly, keeping an eye out for any traps. She hadn't been in this temple before, so she kept her guard up. There appeared to be no threats. Finally, the hall ended in darkness, with no light to tell Kim what she was about to step into. She put her foot inside, expecting a fall, but stepped on solid ground. So she went in, walking into a pitch black room.

After taking a few steps in, more torches suddenly lit up in a circular manner in a counter-clockwise motion, starting from the torch to Kim's right to her left. When it was done, Kim found herself in a huge circular chamber, lit with torches all around and with pillars everywhere. Monkey carvings and designs were all over the walls and the pillars.

_00:20:13.47_

Interestingly enough, there was a diamond square in the middle of it all, with four circles on each of the corners, about the size of the Jade statues themselves. The diamond itself had a monkey pattern on it, but there was something overly creepy about it. It was a red skeleton monkey with fangs and a hateful look in its eyes. Kim laid Ron down in the center, pulled out the Jade statues and put them on the corners. But before she could turn the last one toward Ron, she heard a loud enraged scream coming from above. She sprinted out of the way as the source of the scream came crashing down toward her, completely decimating the floor. It was close enough to knock Kim off her feet.

When the smoke cleared, Monkey Fist stood there with a jagged posture. His grey hair was now spreading to his arms and legs, and he looked more wrinkled than before. Eerily, his eyes also changed from brown to a grey blue color.

"Welcome, Kim Possible…" he greeted, "So you've finally come to give me back what's rightfully mine…" but then his attention went to the defeated and sleeping Ron Stoppable, "So you actually managed to render him unconscious…? Well, it appears I've gravely overestimated his abilities. He really wasn't that powerful after all. No matter… I might as well destroy him and the mole rat and take back what they've stolen…"

"The only thing happening today is that I'm turning Ron and Rufus back to normal, and that means taking the powers away from you!" Kim told him.

"NEVER! You will do no such thing!" Monty yelled. "Ron Stoppable and the mole rat hadn't spent ages researching the mystical powers! I know more about them than everything you've studied in middle school, high school, and college combined! I deserve it more than anyone on the planet! … Though I can't say the side effects were completely expected," he said as he looked at the grey hairs on his hands.

"Don't you see, Monty?" Kim tried to reason with him, "The powers weren't supposed to be shared. That's why they've become cursed, and unless the powers are taken from you, Ron and Rufus and fully reunited as one power, it's going to kill you!"

"That sounds like a splendid idea!" Monty said with a huge smile. "Take the powers away from Stoppable and the mole rat and make them all mine, which is the only reason I let you in here in the first place! I will then become the true mystical monkey master, and the world will bow before my power!"

"The Jade Monkey statues were created by corrupt monks to transfer the power against its own will," Kim explained based on what Sensei told her. "They've chosen Ron as the true master. Even if you blast yourself with the full true power, it's going to reject you."

"If that were the case, even the cursed powers would have done the same. Perhaps I've been cursed, but I've been even more gifted with true power. Behold!"

Monty had made his way toward one of the pillars during the conversation. He merely slid his finger down one of the pillars.

A second later, the entire thing was decimated, sending chunks of rock all over the room. Kim was forced to cross her arms over her face because of all the smoke.

"That's just a taste of things to come, Miss Possible… But now that you've given me exactly what I wanted, I have no need for you and I will no longer put up with your imminent interferences and defeats! I'm done holding back against the likes of you! This will be the hour of your death!" It was then that he got into a stance.

Kim didn't, just rubbing her head. "Here we go again…"

_00:12:32.22_

Monkey Fist then beat his chest and yelled, leaping at Kim with hands ready to strangle her.

His face hit the ground faster than a plane in a nosedive, breaking the ground and sending chunks of rock into the air.

Kim winced. "Ouch…"

Confused, Fist noticed something was holding him back. The not-so-naked mole rat grabbed his foot before he jumped in the air.

Fist looked more shocked and confused than a cop being chased by a giant donut with a purse. "What? Now that's not fair! Release me at once!" He shook his leg as hard as he could, but Rufus wouldn't budge. Instead, Ron's pet swung Monty around and threw him into the wall.

Kim tapped her foot as Monty struggled to get up. "Yeah… about that. Only cursed masters can hurt other cursed masters, and I'm not exactly armed with a taser with the power of 1.21 gigawatts. Sorry."

Fist smirked as he got onto his feet. "Good to know…"

The battle waged on between Fist and Rufus, and although Rufus had the speed to evade and the strength to throw his opponent, Monty was extremely powerful, unharmed by just about all of Rufus' attacks sans the throws. But they went everywhere, jumping from pillar to pillar, to the walls and ceiling. Because Rufus was so small, Fist was only focused on crushing his adversary with his hands or stomping him with his feet. Everything he did had stone and smoke flying out of the walls. Rufus tried to use any openings to attack Monty, but nothing. He was just as, if not more, powerful than Ron, although he managed to keep most of his sanity. Kim could only watch for now.

_00:09:57.11_

Monty had to have his powers removed first. Because Ron was the most affected, the Jade statues wouldn't accept him right now. He had to have his powers removed last. Rufus could have the powers removed whenever he wanted, but he wouldn't stand a chance against Fist in his normal form.

But because the two were jumping around the room so much, Kim had a hard time seeing where they were going. The room was well-lit but it didn't provide enough light for Kim to see everything. She tried to get as far away from the two combatants while staying close to Ron, sometimes having to step out of the way.

Suddenly, she felt Rufus fly right past her, and before she could even react to it, she heard Fist yell at her.

"Get out of the way!"

And just by backhanding her, she flew all the way into a pillar, but it didn't break. But the impact did more than enough damage, instantly knocking her out.

_00:08:01.44_

Something felt different, though. Five or so ten minutes passed, at least that's what it felt like. But she felt someone grab her arm and put it around their neck to support her. She hadn't opened her eyes yet, and still felt very faintish. Ron? No. What first sounded like incomprehensible sounds turned out to be Rufus and Monkey Fist, still trying to fight each other. It wasn't Yori, because the grip on her hand was anything but delicate. Kim was slowly regaining her consciousness, and she tried to grab the other person's hand.

She felt nothing but ice cold metal. Snapping out of it, she released herself and found herself shocked to who her helper was.

"Val? Wha… What are you doing here? No… I've got to be hallucinating or something…"

"Believe me, you're not…" his voice answered.

But once she rubbed her eyes, she realized she wasn't. Val was standing right in front of her.

"What are you doing here? I thought you were looking for Melissa." Kim rubbed her eyes and head again to make sure.

Val made a weak smile. "I left prematurely. You could use the help."

Monkey Fist suddenly stopped when he noticed the newcomer. "Legion? How on earth did you get in here?"

Val only took a step forward. "There's no necessary answer for such a trivial question. What matters more than the fact I'm here?"

Suddenly, Val threw what appeared to be some kind of shuriken at Fist, but it was actually one made of glass with small needles on the ends. It was filled with the same sedative that helped knock Ron out. However, Fist caught the weapon with his fingers and snapped it in pieces. Kim didn't even see what happened until pieces of glass shattered.

"Nice try, boy…"

Rufus came from behind and tried to attack, but Fist dropped a smoke bomb right at his feet, exploding on impact. He leapt out of the way the same instant, leaving Rufus to handle the smoke. With him out of the way for the moment, Fist was eager to take on the two teenagers, or more specifically, Val. Maybe Fist wasn't as impenetrable as Ron was, but really, the two didn't have much of a choice.

"You two think you can stand a chance against me? Hah! Bring it on!" Fist raged. "I have endless years of training in the art of Monkey Kung Fu!"

"I don't even need to tell you what I'm thinking…" Val said to Kim.

"'Experience is nothing. Will is everything,'" Kim said. "We've got to try."

_00:02:01.16_

Just then, Rufus emerged from the smoke and all three of them fought against Fist. But no matter what they did, their attacks did nothing, leaving them wide open for a counterattack. Kim and Val first went in with spinning kicks toward Monty's neck, but he grabbed both of their feet, threw them downward, and struck them with his own feet, knocking them across the room. Rufus seemed to be that one opponent he couldn't touch. But Kim and Val got onto their feet and tried what they could, but Monty was faster than they were. Kim tried to fake an attack to throw her enemy off, but Fist delivered a palm smash after that fake and hit her anyway. Val immediately went airborne, trying to wrap his legs around Fist's head and slam him to the ground, but Fist grabbed the oncoming leg and threw Val at the ceiling, who actually stood on it for a split second before coming back down, only to get kicked into Kim.

_00:01:13.23_

Without warning, Val grabbed Kim by both of her arms and spun her as fast as he could, then released her and sent her flying into Monty. Finally realizing what he intended, Kim crossed her arms with her elbows, aimed at Monty.

He simply ducked and she was sent into a pillar. Thankfully, she reacted in time to twist her body, landing on it with her feet. They all still continued to do what they could to Fist, and a lot of it involved tricking him. For example, it looked like Val was about to go in for a charging sweep, one that would have his opponent flying and flipping in the air before crashing on the ground, but Fist leapt over it, finding himself on the receiving end of a running kick by Kim, who attempted the move before Fist evaded. But it did nothing, and still in the air, he grabbed Kim's leg and threw her at Rufus, who actually grabbed her and threw her back at her opponent.

"Why am I the one getting thrown around?" she yelled.

_00:00:47.43_

It seemed useless. Fist jumped over Kim again, just to land in an airborne throw by Val. Jumping from behind, he hooked his foot around Fist's neck, spun himself and took Monty for the ride, and smashed his body into the floor. Fist quickly tripped him, which actually caused Val to crash into his opponent's abs head-first, but Fist only shoved him out of the way.

_00:00:21.31_

Kim then went in, diving at Fist's head with her knee extended out. Perfect contact that had him sent across the room, but the instant he got up, he had already charged at her with the same move, but aimed at her gut. It knocked the wind out of her and knocked her into the wall.

_WARNING: 00:00:10.00_

Rufus then actually climbed inside Monty's clothes, tickling him everywhere.

_WARNING: 00:00:09.00_

With this opening, Kim and Val rushed toward Monty as fast as they could.

_WARNING: 00:00:08.00_

Fist tried what he could to grab Rufus, but he couldn't, laughing so much. "Stop! Stop!"

_WARNING: 00:00:07.00_

Finally, Kim and Val reached him and gave it their all. Kim socked Monty across the face twice as hard as she could.

_WARNING: 00:00:06:00_

Val flew upward, shoving his knee into Fist's face. Because he flew past him, he also kicked Monty in the back of the head.

_DANGER: 00:00:05.00_

Monty tried to turn around and swipe Val as he landed, only for Kim to grab him by the back of the head and slam her knee into his spine, after making sure Rufus wasn't nearby.

_DANGER: 00:00:04:00_

Monty then tried to swipe Kim, only to be attacked by Val, this time suffering a spinning kick to the neck.

_DANGER: 00:00:03.00_

Finally, Monty reached into his shirt and grabbed Rufus, and quickly threw him to the other side of the room as hard as he could.

_EMERGENCY: 00:00:02.00_

Realizing he was no longer distracted, both Kim and Val realized they had to deliver the fastest and most damaging blow they could. They both flew upward with their knees aimed at Monty's head, from behind and from the front.

_EMERGENCY: 00:00:01.00_

But Fist moved aside, forcing Kim and Val to crash into each other, and with his own spinning kick, he sent the two soaring toward opposite ends of the room.

_00:00:00.00_

Kim and Val struggled to get up after being thrown into the wall, and Rufus let out some kind of scared cry. As the teens tried to get on their feet, Fist laughed.

"Foolish children! Now you know the true powers that house the art of monkey Kung Fu! Even with this power I am able to easily topple the so-called invincible Legion! I've had my fun. Prepare to-"

Suddenly, Monty stopped, letting out painful attempts at yelling, like something was choking him. When Kim and Val raised their eyes, they saw someone, or something, holding Monty in the air. He was breathing heavily, growling with each breath. It didn't look like he could stand upright on two feet. He actually had purple smoke coming out of his mouth and glowing red eyes that actually lit Monty's with fear.

It was Ron.

"**_Kkuuuuuuuuuuu…. KKKKHUUUUUUUUU…"_** he breathed.

Fist was trembling. "What… what are you?"

"**_KKeeeeeeeaaaaaaa… Oooooeeeeaaaarrrrr…"_** was all that came from Ron.

Val dusted off the rocks from his jacket. "So it's finally happened."

Kim got onto her feet. "It's completely possessed him…" Was it too late to save him at all?

Monkey Fist couldn't form a word. Ron wasn't a cursed possessed master. He was a demon.

The feeling he got was one he never felt before. He was about to die.

"_**KKKKKKKWWWWAAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGHHHHHHH!"**_

Ron then began his onslaught, throwing Monty into the ceiling as hard as he could. Just as he came down, Ron started sprinting, grabbing Fist as he fell, and slammed him into the wall, followed by a series of pillars. He shoved him into a wall again, and from the recoil, Fist staggered toward Ron, who then delivered a dual palm smash that knocked Monty on the ground. Before he could open his eyes, Ron had jumped high into the ceiling and landed on Fist. He then raised both his hands high above his head, ready to crash down on Fist's chest.

"_**OOOAAAAAFFFF!"**_

Fist's entire body became engraved in the floor.

"_**GGGRRRREEAAAAFFFF!"  
**_

He did it again.

"_**OOOORRRREEAAARRGGHH!"**_

Finally, Ron raised his hands as high as he could, and his fists came crashing down like a rocket returning to earth.

"**_OOOOOMMMMMMOOOOOOORRRRREEEEAAAAARRRRRGGGGHHHHH!"_**

Fist was completely buried in the ground, completely unconscious. Kim and Val quickly went to hide behind the pillars, as did Rufus. However, Ron, still fuming madly, was far from done. He quickly walked toward where Rufus was without even seeing him. Realizing this, Rufus yelled and ran, but his master was in pursuit, actually keeping up with him by running on all fours. He was targeting whoever had the powers.

Val slapped his head. "I really should've put another one on him just in case, huh?"

Kim didn't bother to answer. The original plan was to knock Fist out somehow, and with Ron unconscious and Rufus willing to give up his powers to save his owner, they would have their powers removed one at a time the same way they received them, and with the MMP being one again, it would go into Ron and all would go well. But now that Ron was conscious again, Kim had to change the plan. She quickly went toward Fist's unconscious body, pulling him out from the rubble. He was still alive with a fast heartbeat and was breathing normally, but he was heavy. Seeing what she was up to, Val went to help her carry him toward the diamond with the Jade statues. All this time, nothing happened to them.

Placing Monty's body in the diamond and making sure the Jade statues were facing him, they started glowing and he was levitating. Kim and Val both watched as a dark purple ura came out of Monty's body, forming a huge disgusting red and purple orb. When the powers were removed, he looked fifty years younger and was thrown across the room. It was hard to look at the ball of dark energy. Inside Kim could see what looked like wandering monkey souls, all screaming in pain as their skeletal bodies flew around, set ablaze in purple fires. There was also a black ball in the middle of it, almost like the iris of the eyeball. Kim almost fell off her feet when the orb acted like an eyeball, moving around like one without the sclera.

Monkey Fist was no more. Now that his powers were taken from him, he no longer possessed any of the mystical monkey powers. He was once again only Montgomery Fiske.

The 'eye' of the powers quickly focused on Rufus, who had been running from Ron the whole time. Ron didn't even care if the place collapsed. If Rufus ran anywhere near a pillar, he would run straight into it and destroy it like a tank into a building. Rufus saw what happened to Fist, but in that brief moment, Ron attempted to crush his pet with his foot. Rufus barely got out of the way, but the impact sent him flying right into the middle of the diamond. Rufus tried to escape, but he couldn't move. He began to levitate as a dark blue ura was coming out of his body and going into the dark purple eye. His hair was falling off the whole time, and soon he was thrown into Kim's arms.

He had no more powers in his body, but he was happy he was naked once again.

"_**KKkuuuuuuu…"**_

Unfortunately, that left Ron, the only one with the cursed powers left. The eye had changed color from red-purple to a dark blue, and it aimed its sights on him.

For some reason, Ron screamed, **_"GGAAAAAAARRRGGGHHHH!"_** but it was in fear. He actually ran away from the eye and hid behind one of the pillars.

But Kim noticed something different when looking at the eye. She could see what appeared to be monkey elders of some sort, sometimes flashing with demonic looks, but it looked much more peaceful than a few seconds ago. But when looking toward Ron, she could see his hair being 'pulled' toward the eye. Suddenly, the already-weakened pillar collapsed on him, and he fell to the ground, digging his fingers into the floor and trying to keep as far away as he possibly could.

The powers were fighting to become one again, and they were trying to suck in the last of the powers. In a fight between mystical ancient powers and a (mutated) human being, not hard to bet what wins. But even with his strength and breaking the floor to keep himself from being sucked in, his efforts were futile. The eye was pulling him in, and he tried to grab whatever he could. He grabbed another pillar, but the whole time came right off. Armed with it, Ron tried to throw it at the eye, but it completely blew up inches away from it. He only yelled and screamed as his body was getting closer.

For some reason, it was hard for Kim to watch. It was Ron, but at the same time she didn't know if he was in there anymore at all. Ron's leg finally was sucked in, and he desperately tried to grab one of the Jade statues, but with no luck. Instead of being pulled into the middle of the Jade statues, he was being pulled directly into the eye. Finally, Ron's torso was pulled in, and knowing this was it, he yelled at Kim as loud as he could.

"_**KIM! I HATE YOU! I'LL HATE YOU AS LONG AS I LIVE!"**_

But Ron's face radically changed in that moment alone. It wasn't just the color of his eyes that were red; his entire eyes were nothing but. His tongue had turned purple, long and slithering like a reptile. He even had huge fangs. He attempted to grab her and bite her, but she was too far away.

Kim couldn't look at that demonic face straight in the eye.

And with one final scream, the eye absorbed what was left of Ron.

Things didn't exactly turn out the same way with Monty and Rufus. Kim could see the powers extract the dark energy from his body, but he was nothing but a silhouette trapped in a bright blue orb. His screams were completely blocked out. The orb let out a lot of what appeared to be electrical energy, although it shot Val straight in the heart and it did nothing to him. Kim was hit but felt nothing as well.

It was then that the Jade statues themselves rose from the ground and spun around the huge orb, which had become nothing but a glowing light blue ball. They were glowing the same color. Strangely, more of the dark mystical energy came from them as well. So all the power wasn't in Ron, Rufus and Fiske. But as they spun and delivered the rest of the power, the orb started to beat like a heart. It was starting to react to the final delivery, and it started to spin as well, so fast that the winds became extremely loud.

Finally, the Jade statues were done releasing the last of the MMP and separated from the orb. But for some reason, a glowing blue symbol appeared above each of them.

Kim and Rufus just watched. There was something oddly peaceful about that light.

Val, who was behind Kim however, found himself in a state of disbelief and shock upon witnessing these symbols. He was nearly trembling and twitching, recognizing the abstract symbols. Baffled smiles came and left from his face, almost bursting into laughter from this surprise.

He couldn't hold it in much longer. "I… I can't believe it… that's them! That's them! The final four! They've been in front of me the WHOLE TIME!"

But with the loud gusts of the winds, neither Kim nor Rufus heard him. He kept staring at these like he had seen God itself, and a look of shock and confusion soon turned into a devilish smile.

The light blue orb soon turned into a yellow one, and the room completely went silent. There was something incredibly mesmerizing just standing in front of the pure form of the MMP. It was like the physical form of peace.

In that instant, a sudden explosion rocked the chamber, emitting a blinding light that spread throughout the entire place. The shockwave of the explosion was enough to knock Rufus off Kim's shoulder. The light wouldn't fade quickly, though. Kim had to wait at least a minute before opening her eyes. The entire chamber was lit with white smoke, only allowing Kim to see what was next to her. Worried about what just happened to the orb, she quickly tried to make her way to where it was.

However, it was gone. Ron was nowhere to be seen, but the four Jade Monkey statues were gone as well. The square-diamond, however, looked different. Instead of a demonic skeletal red monkey, there was instead a yellow elder monkey, with a warm smile and enlightened look on his face. It was definitely a better sight than before, that was for sure. But Kim instantly grew worried about what happened to Ron. He wasn't anywhere nearby, but then she remembered that Monkey Fist was thrown across the chamber when the cursed orb was done draining his powers.

She wondered if that's the only thing it drained, but then again Rufus was alive. Rufus…

"Rufus? Ruufuus!"

No answer.

"Val? Anyone?"

Nothing.

The smoke was slowly clearing, but so far Kim wasn't seeing anything but the broken floor. She found her backpack, forgetting it was here, so she went to pick it up.

Just then, she felt something choke her and slam her head into the wall. Whoever it was, only by adding a little more pressure did the stone begin to break behind Kim's head, growling angrily.

Was Ron not healed?

"You… you foolish insignificant little girl!" the voice yelled.

It was Monty.

"You've stolen my powers, the powers I've dedicated my life to and took ages to seek them out! You've taken everything from me!"

Just by looking at Monty's face, which no longer resembled a monkey but a common Englishman, saying that he was pissed off was an understatement. Despite his normal human appearance, Monty was acting like an animal, with saliva flying out of his mouth with each word, deep growling in his voice, two bloodshot eyes, and foaming at the mouth.

"I'll kill you!" he yelled. "You'll pay for what you've done with your life!"

He just completely snapped and lost it. Maybe he was better with the cursed powers in him.

Although the Jade statues had taken away his powers, one thing they didn't take away were his surgically-implanted 'hands' replacing his feet, nor his previous martial arts training. With one hand still on Kim's throat, he also wrapped his feet around her neck, choking her with three hands. He stood only on one normal hand, trying to squeeze the life out of Kim. But his will to kill her was actually much stronger than her will to escape. He wasn't going to let her get out of this, and every time she moved he only applied more pressure. At times Kim tried to kick and punch her way out of it, but he was completely hell bent on killing her, numbing any pain she delivered.

"Yes, turn blue!" Monty screamed. "Breathe no more!" He just completely lost it.

Kim just couldn't escape it, and everything was just slowly fading to black.

Just when she couldn't see anymore, she felt herself being released. Trying to open her eyes, the only thing she saw was someone grabbing Monty and slugging him right across the head, sending him flying across the room and destroying everything in his path. It completely knocked him out. Whoever his attacker was, he just stood there with his back facing her.

Make no mistake, something was so nostalgic about that silhouette. Kim twitched as a result.

The smoke continued to fade slowly, but he just stood there silently, solid as stone. But when it finally cleared, there he was, a blond-haired boy a little taller than Kim was.

"R… R…" she just couldn't say it. She hadn't seen him in so long. It was just suddenly hard for Kim to believe he was right there standing in front of her. Could it be?

Hearing this, he slowly turned around. There was something eerie about the way he did it, taking about three or four seconds to finally face her.

Messy blond hair. Brown eyes. Big ears. Freckles.

"Ron… you're back…" Kim whispered quietly. She just wasn't sure if she could believe it.

Just then, the person in front of her put a hand on her shoulder, gently touching her face with the other. Kim just stood completely still in silence, unable to think. That skin. The way he gently rubbed his fingers down her cheek, then her other one.

"Kim?"

It was his voice.

But Ron looked confused. "Why does it feel like I haven't seen you in months?"

Despite that the person in front of her looked like Ron Stoppable, talked like Ron Stoppable, and felt like Ron Stoppable, Kim couldn't help but feel skeptical. She suddenly found herself in denial. She just wouldn't move, almost losing her ability to respond or do anything. She just kept her eyes on Ron's. She hadn't seen them in so long. And Ron couldn't help but feel the same. Just the way he touched her face and her shoulder, it was like a feeling that had been missing for far, far too long.

They just looked at each other, unable to think. Without even knowing it, Kim placed both of her hands on Ron's chest, and Ron wrapped his arms around her. They continued to look at each other in complete silence, staring into each other's eyes. Their noses were almost touching, and slowly one passed the other. They both slowly opened their lips, although Kim's were trembling, still uncertain if this was truly it.

Their lips were then touching, but neither would call it a kiss. Just skin touching skin. That changed within a matter of seconds. Kim couldn't fight it anymore. She just had to kiss him.

It was then that her eyes shot open with tears coming out. Grabbing Ron as tightly as she could, she shoved her face as hard as she could into his.

'_It's him!'_ she thought, _'It's definitely him!'_

But she wasn't the only one who kissed hard. Ron felt as if he hadn't done this in ages, like he hadn't seen her in six months. He didn't fight crime with her. He didn't come home from school to find her in his arms. He didn't watch TV and movies with her. He hadn't taken her out on dates and movies. He hadn't felt her love in six months.

But in the end, Kim was the one who eventually drove him to the ground. Tears quickly dropped onto his face as she kissed him as hard as she could. Six months of loneliness felt like an eternity, and finally, Ron Stoppable was back. She almost cried with her lips pressed on his, missing him so much. Even after everything Ron told her in a possessed state, no other man on earth could kiss her so passionately.

It lasted for over seven minutes, and Kim finally pulled herself from his sweet embrace. She tried to hide the tears, but couldn't. "Ron… you have no idea how much I missed you…"

He didn't answer. He had his eyes closed and just lay there.

Kim only smiled. "I guess it was good for you, too…"

Normally an act by Ron, and sometimes not, he would nearly pass out when the two kissed each other in such a way. It was usually more on Kim's end than his. But he still wasn't responding.

"Ha ha, Ron. Okay, jokes over."

He still wasn't responding.

"Ron? Are you okay?"

Kim quickly got off and pulled his head upward, making sure he didn't hit the ground and break it. He didn't.

"Ron?"

She noticed something. He didn't appear to be breathing.

"Oh no… Ron. Please…"

She quickly put her lips back on his, attempting to breathe some air into him.

"Ron, wake up, please!"

She put her hand on his neck, but she almost turned completely white when she realized he had no pulse. She was hyperventilating.

"No… Ron! Oh God… no! NO! Not now! Anything but right now!"

She checked his pulse all over. On his wrist and over his heart. She felt nothing. She did more CPR, doing any and everything she could to breathe some life into him and get everything started again.

"This can't be happening…" Again she burst into tears, "Ron, don't leave me!"

Kim did everything she could think of. More CPR, pressing his chest in timed intervals, putting her mouth on his and exchanging air.

"It's not working… Why isn't it working?"

She kept doing this for minutes and minutes, but all of her attempts were futile. No matter what she did, he wasn't breathing and his heart wasn't beating. Kim knew what this meant, but just couldn't stomach it in.

Could he be…?

No. She just couldn't think of that word, that one word that meant the end of it all, but after repeating this over and over, denying it wouldn't reverse it.

It was a fact. No heartbeat. No breathing. He wasn't going to wake up.

She finally had to accept it.

"**_RRRROOOONNNN!"_**


	23. 22: The Greater of Two Evils

Is it the end, or far from it? Is it all over for the Ron man, or will Kim have to move on in a life without him? Are you reading this chapter because you read the last one, or did you just spoil yourself with the ending of the last one? How many chapters do we have left until this story is finally over? Why did it take so long to update and think this chapter through? Why can't I drive myself to do more fan art for this story?

In any case, let's hope this chapter answers a few of the more important questions…

…or maybe not.

**Chapter 22: The Greater of Two Evils**

* * *

She couldn't take a second more of it.

She had stood outside for the last forty minutes. She heard things that ranged from battle cries to stone crumbling and being destroyed, but not everything was clear. She quickly had thoughts of regret, thinking it might have been a better idea to go with Kim and help. But Yori said she'd stand guard. If any monkey ninjas came to interfere, they'd deal with her and not Kim. If Monkey Fist tried to escape, she wouldn't let him. No one would come out of here but Team Possible.

But when she heard Kim scream Ron's name, she couldn't stand idle anymore. Something was terribly wrong. She quickly ran inside the temple to see what was wrong, fearing the worst but hoping otherwise. As she got closer to the chamber, the louder the sobbing and yelling noises became, all of anguish, and they wouldn't stop. Yori's fears only grew with every step.

"Please… don't let it be what I hope it isn't…"

Suddenly, Yori was blinded by white smoke, barely able to see. What little she could see, though, she realized the entire place was a mess. Broken stone piled up everywhere, walls and pillars completely obliterated, and that's when she finally saw her. Kim, who was sobbing, crying, yelling, cursing… and beating the hell out of Ron.

Well, that's what it looked like at first. Outraged and with her mind in shambles, Kim was just punching Ron's chest as hard as she could, doing whatever she could to get his heart started again. With each punch she cursed loudly, telling Ron to wake up and demanding why this was happening.

"Damn it, Ron…!" she sobbed. "This isn't funny anymore…! Why now…? After everything that happened, why on earth did this have to happen now…?"

He was showing every sign of a dead man, but she refused to accept it.

It was hard for Yori to intervene in the moment, but at the same time it was so painful watching the way Kim was crying. Despite everything that Kim had gone through on this entire journey, nothing could have prepared her for something like this. It's the one thing that everyone knows, but forgets in an instant; everybody dies. No one lives forever, and death is only a natural part of life. But Ron could never die. Ever. Just being separated from him for so long was a nightmare, but death? Eternal separation? The thought of living the rest of her life without Ron was just too much for her. That was the one thing in Kim's life that was truly impossible. But it seemed that it actually happened.

Yori tried her best to restrain her own pain, but it was one thing to see Ron's possessed beast form unconscious, and seeing his original human form laying dead. He was just as she remembered him, but he showed no signs of life. She told herself she wasn't going to cry, but she could feel the tears in the back of her eyes. Furthermore, Rufus soon emerged from the smoke holding his head, knocked out earlier from the bright explosion. He came in just as shocked as Yori was, quickly running up to his owner and checking his vitals. He soon joined Kim in her mourning. Kim herself just continued to pound her fists into Ron's chest, soon giving up from pure exhaustion.

"So… this is it…?" Kim asked as she tried to rub her tears, "After all of this… just when I thought it was all over… just when he looks at me, speaks to me… he just drops dead…? After all that… Nothing… Why…? Why Ron?"

Yori couldn't maintain her silence any longer. "I… I am sorry, Possible-san… I…" but she didn't know what else to say.

Kim hadn't realized Yori was in the room, and she quickly turned away to hide her tears. That was one thing about Kim. She wasn't used to crying like this, and never felt comfortable doing it in anyone else's presence. Yori tried to think of something she could say, but what was there to say? You couldn't tell Kim that life will go on, that she tried, or that Ron will always be with her. Kim had known Ron almost her entire life. The one person who meant so much to her for so long suddenly just dropped dead out of nowhere, and she was right there when it happened. It all happened in front of her eyes. He wasn't the only thing that died. A huge part of her did, too. As strong and tough as she was, this did her in. Losing her mind, Kim collapsed on Ron. Her head landed right on his heart, but she still didn't hear a beat.

"What on earth am I supposed to do now…?" she cried. But she didn't mean it in a way concerning this mission. She didn't know what else to do with her life. She just didn't know how to move on in life, not one without Ron.

It was a question neither Rufus nor Yori could answer. The ninja girl couldn't say she was too familiar with death, but she completely understood Kim's reaction, especially if she watched him die before her eyes. It would drive anyone crazy, even a girl who could do anything.

Kim refused to pick herself up, talking with her lips rubbing against Ron's chest. "I am so glad Val didn't decide to stick around in here any longer… the last thing I want to hear is him tell me how to cope with this…"

Yori had to blink twice for what she heard. "What did you just say?"

"I know Val had his mentor and the girl he used to love die," Kim answered, pausing with a loud sniff, "one right in front of him… but right now I just don't want to hear anything…"

"No… before that…" Yori said with a concerned voice.

Kim sniffed loudly before answering. "I'm glad he didn't stick around in here any longer? Why?"

Yori was growing suspicious. "Does that mean what I think it means?"

"What? That he was down here earlier? Yeah, he…" Kim paused to sniff again, "Sorry. He came down here earlier to help me fight Monkey Fist… w-with Rufus…" Another sniff. "Why… w-w-why are you looking at me l-like that?"

Yori had an extremely confused look on her face. "Possible-san… that's just not possible. I was keeping guard at the only entrance of the temple the entire time. No one but you, Rufus-san and Stoppable-san entered the temple, and nobody came out. You're… sure you saw… what you saw?"

"I-I might have bumped my head a few times," Kim quickly answered, "but h-he was definitely here, Yori. Monkey Fist acted all surprised… a-and I'm sure Rufus saw him."

"Yup…" Rufus weakly confirmed, laying down on one of Ron's shoulders.

Yori instantly grew more perplexed, crossing her arms and turning around. "How can that be…?" she thought to herself out loud, "The entrance was hardly big enough for Possible-san to fit through, let alone with her bag and Stoppable-san… I would have sensed him at the least…" Then she turned to Kim. "Why exactly did he leave?"

"I… I don't know…" Kim said without a thought, "One minute… he's suddenly here for no reason… and j-just when the mystical powers became one… he was gone…"

Add more to the list. And Yori noticed something else that didn't ease her suspicions. Something wasn't there that should have been. "Where are the Jade Monkey statues?"

Kim struggled to answer. "I-I don't know… m-maybe he took them or something. I don't… I… Look, I've got my mind on more important things, okay, Yori?" She just couldn't think. "Ron's dead. I don't care what Val wants with those things… The one guy who means more to me than anything else on this planet is gone… He's… really gone…"

Yori couldn't look Kim straight in the eye, turning away. "I… I'm sorry. I'll be quiet and leave you alone… I-I'm sorry. I really am…" She then retreated to the entrance of the chamber to leave Kim alone. "Stoppable-san…"

It wasn't that she was trying to make light of Ron's apparent death. Far from it. She was trying to think of whatever she could to get her mind off of it. She let her emotions get to her before, which is what her training taught against, and she wasn't going to let it happen this time. Otherwise she would have been mourning Ron's apparent death no different than Kim was. Yori rubbed away a tear with no one watching. But really, she couldn't stop. Just as one left her face, more left her eyes, and it wouldn't end. But she refused to show her pain to the others.

But facing the corridor hall that led to the entrance of the actual temple, a straightforward, narrow and linear hall with lit torches on the sides, she just couldn't figure out how Val had gotten in or out without her knowing. The last time she saw him was way back in Belize when he led them to the train. Even if he really was here, what reason would he have to come?

The Jade Monkey statues disappears, and Ron drops dead in less than five minutes. It just had to be coincidence, right?

Yori still had so many questions, half concerning Ron's sudden death, and Val's sudden appearance. Why would Ryan steal the Jade Monkey statues and leave? How could he have gotten in here and disappeared like that?

Then she remembered. After Kim and Wade had left Yamanouchi, and right after their encounter, she and Eiji watched as he disappeared in a peculiar manner in front of them. While ninjas were known for suddenly appearing and disappearing into thin air, they could usually sense each other with the exception of new or poorly-trained ones. But Val didn't exactly disappear in a usual manner. Small glowing blue sparkles of energy came from around him, surrounding his body like an aura of sorts. Suddenly, his entire body instantly vanished, leaving behind a glowing orb that faded into thin air as if he had been vaporized. It wasn't human.

But nothing here was right as it was, anyway.

* * *

Wade couldn't believe it.

But it wasn't about Ron. While he had Kim's tracking signal locked on, a signal only his computers could see, because she was deep underground he couldn't see what exact movements she was making. He was completely unaware of what had just happened to his comrades.

Instead, his focus went toward another tracker that he had been keeping a close eye on. He nearly spat soda all over the screen of his laptop, just in pure disbelief of what he had just seen. But this was the third time he had seen something like this happen, and it wasn't his computer being stupid on him.

It was the tracking device in Val's boot, or rather, the signal that originated from it. It was one that Wade kept his eyes glued to. But the entire time, he had grown extremely skeptical of Val's motives. There was reason for it, and this only confirmed those concerns.

When the girls had gone to a hotel after Kim acquired the last Jade Monkey statue, Val acted rather strangely hearing the way the police took care of Kim overnight and treated her injuries. It was then he decided that he needed some alone time and left the girls. Wade recalled that they tried to go after him, but he was suddenly gone. Vanished.

It was at that exact moment that Val's tracking signal suddenly jumped from Guilin all the way to Chicago back in the states, all in an instant. Wade thought it might have been a glitch, but the signal in Chicago was completely active. Wade tried to adjust some satellites to get a closer look, but by the time he was getting close, the tracking signal suddenly went right back to Guilin, just outside the girls' hotel room.

Wade thought it had to have been a glitch. But it happened again.

The signal was very active back in Belize. Just as Val said, he roamed the entire jungle for his purple-haired friend, but it appeared that he had given up. Just like before, his signal jumped from one part of the world to another. In this case, it went from Belize right into the temple in the Amazon. But it wasn't before Kim got in there. He arrived at a time when her tracker when completely idle, usually a result of sleeping, being frozen, paralyzed or knocked out. And they fought together.

Wade thought that his laptop was acting stupid on him, probably not keeping up with the actual signal somehow.

But what happened minutes ago proved him wrong. Dead wrong.

He watched again as Val's signal leapt from one place on earth to another, right after an explosion that temporarily disrupted both his and Kim's tracking signals. But Ryan's new destination was somewhere in the center of the Atlantic Ocean. Fortunately, Wade had a satellite already in place in case anything happened. The timing couldn't be better.

But to his astonishment, he zoomed in to find a rather small island, one that definitely wasn't there before. But the signal was definitely coming from there. But how did Val jump from one place to another like that?

"Is he… teleporting?"

* * *

Ancient ruins of darkness and sadness, thought by some to be buried forever by the dark sands of earth. Such ruins were thought not to have existed at all. Undiscovered and unexplored for several millennia.

That seemed to be the case no longer.

A huge, dark and empty chamber. One that sat alone in darkness and silence for thousands of years. One with strange, abstract and curved patterns carved everywhere, most which revealed some kind of complicated machinery that looked extremely obsolete, it was like using tons of clockwork to make a hovercraft. But for the first time in ages, its silence was broken. Something outside, far and above. It was a mechanical but soft humming, slowly getting louder by the second, but barely. Its descent was either slow or extremely long. It took about twenty minutes for it to reach the same level as the room, ending with a soft landing. It was then that the doors opened, revealing a round-floored elevator that was almost as big as the massive chamber itself, then its occupant, a silhouette that was no less creepy than the ruins itself. The room was somewhat illuminated in a dull blue light, just enough to see what was inside the room.

It was a giant ancient machine of sorts, but unless you had done the research, it was impossible to tell what it really was. It had two of what appeared to be computer-like control interfaces in the front, which was just massive and on higher ground, with ramps and stairs surrounding it. But instead of buttons and levers, there were many curved abstract symbols scattered all over. Many were for decoration, some were holes to reveal internal machinery, and some were actual buttons. But nothing was active.

Right behind all of those were three giant machines that were halfway in the ground. Picture a bodybuilder (or anybody) bending their arm to do a pose that shows their muscles with their knuckles facing toward them. Take the elbow all the way to the farthest knuckle, and you'd get the shape these were in. But they were all secure face-down the ground, much like an arm bent all the way in. One on the left, one on the right, and one on the far end of the room. They were all facing toward the same thing, which appeared to be just a dot right in front of the controls. It appeared to be nothing more than a marker. Many huge rocks were laying near them.

Whatever this machine or device was, it took up nearly the entire chamber height-wise. Other than the prime details, it was heavily decorated with small pieces of ancient rock and metal making it more than just a machine. It wasn't easy to tell whether these decorations were actually vital to the operation of this thing, or if they were just there to make this look more artistic.

There were other several long machines (with the same ancient pattern) hanging from the ceiling. Some were providing light through the carvings. It was a weak light, dim from thousands of years or because the entire place was inactive. No dust, no bugs, no stench. Only the ancient technology written everywhere indicated what kind of place this was, and those unfamiliar with it would mistake it for one massive, unbelievable, and perhaps insanely expensive art project. But there was something beautiful about it despite being old, dark and abandoned. It was that detailed.

The room lost its silence again with footsteps that echoed throughout the entire room, every sound moving closer to the front of the machine. A huge bag was soon placed in front of it, and the visitor dug through it like a kid on Christmas morning. Three statue heads were carefully placed on the floor, with the silhouette holding the last in his hand.

"The final four of the relics… Just when I had lost hope in finding the last of them, they turn out to be in these statues the entire time… It's no wonder I couldn't find you…"

He turned it upside down, observing the bottom of the statue. There was a huge hole inside, and from it, he pulled out some kind of strange ancient device. Once that was done, he threw the statue aside, but not hard enough to break it.

"And the timing for such a discovery couldn't be anymore perfect… No need to worry about interference from our friend Kimberly Anne…"

He picked up another head and pulled out the second.

"…now that she's likely to be far too busy catching up with Ron now that he's finally back to his normal self… A perfect distraction… Yet another coincidence that works in my favor…"

He really didn't know the truth himself. He grabbed another statue head and pulled out the third.

"Poor Kim… having no idea that there were actually **sixteen** ancient artifacts the entire time… And once again, I'm a few steps ahead of you, Kim… but I suppose I always have been… Sixteen ancient artifacts hidden around the world… No… I wouldn't simply run into moving traffic to get them… It's all about preparation, destroying evidence of research, both solid and digital documents all over the planet, all so anyone who didn't know about them would never find out, not even Load, Killbourne and the rest of their colleagues. And the few who did would be completely clueless to their purpose and location. And after a ten-month search, the hunt finally ends."

After taking the third artifact, Val went to get the fourth.

"It makes perfect sense now… How else could monks house and channel mystic, ancient and mysterious powers? By using none other than ancient technology, plain and simple. Thousands of years old, yet far surpasses anything we've ever created, capable of things not even we could dream of… and yet it could never be duplicated. But the monks actually used ancient artifacts in these statues to control and house the mystical powers… Quite clever, I must say… And to think that you revealed your true nature when releasing the last of the mystical powers. I never would have thought that you contained any at all… perhaps the reason why you weren't truly destroyed… Impressive to say the least…"

Now with two artifacts on each of the two control modules, Val pulled out the other twelve from under his jacket, all carefully placed on a necklace. He saw that on each module, there were a total of eight slots for each of the artifacts, and none of them had the same shape. He picked one out and looked for the proper slot to place it in, which took only a second.

After a secure click, the relic itself went from a lifeless rock to a beautiful glowing blue artifact. The machinery within the crevices of it became active, with small lights moving inside like a bloodstream. He took his time with putting the puzzle together, finding himself admiring the beauty of each of the glowing blue artifacts as they were lit one by one. And for once in his life, he didn't find himself concerned with the hell he called everyday life. This place was suddenly his escape from the outside world. But Val wasn't here on a vacation. He had a reason for being here and had a purpose to fulfill.

He held the last relic in his hand, observing it carefully.

"I'm going to miss the added abilities some of these provided… teleportation, accelerated healing, sensitive hearing, swimming fast in water… too bad that's it."

He found himself tossing the small relic up and down. Then he caught it in his hand.

"Sorry Kim… it has to be this way…"

And then he shoved it in.

It was then that the entire machine awakened from its near-eternal slumber, with the internal machinery vibrating and becoming completely active. The loud humming of the ancient engines echoed the entire room, and soon brought it to life as the lights above turned on. Now instead of the room being somewhat lit in blue, almost everything in the room appeared to be lit almost entirely in gold, if not something much richer. Much of the 'decorations' on the control modules also started animating and moving. There were a few things in the room that were actually floating as well, mostly huge boulder-like engines near the three arm-like machines that lay lifelessly on the ground earlier.

Speaking of those arm-like machines, they became unlocked and were rising. Within a minute they were all standing upward, and it became much more clear what they were for. In each of the 'fists' were glowing yellow orbs, and soon they began to absorb energy together. They all released bolts of energy that all met in the same place, soon creating a cream-colored energy orb just in front of the controls.

Val took a moment to think as he toward the ball of energy, but he didn't think for long.

"And now for the offering…"

Suddenly, the three power generators stopped releasing energy, shutting down. They quickly lowered back into the ground. The golden light in the room was no more, with the room being lit in a dim glowing blue light once again. The huge rocks behind the generators crashed on the ground, and the loud noises of machines turned into utter silence. Furthermore, the sixteen relics were no longer glowing.

Everything suddenly went dead.

"What? ...What just happened?" Val yelled. "No… Everything was done right!"

This place had endless similarities to the Genesis chamber he took Kim and Wade to a long time ago, but even that place hadn't been used in ages and became completely active. The technology was flawless and almost indestructible. Val still decided to check everything to see what was wrong. Being sunk in the oceans of earth for so long could have caused something to go awry, but nothing appeared to be damaged. Everything still looked brand new despite the look of the place.

"I don't understand… I did everything exactly as the ancient texts said to do! And it was working! All six-"

He saw what the problem was. One of the artifacts was missing. But it didn't simply fall off or out of place. It was gone. Stolen.

"You know, for someone who almost has the reputation of Possible and seems to be one of the most feared people on the planet, you certainly know how to have a conversation with yourself."

Val quickly turned toward where the voice came from; the entrance of the elevator. It was the voice of a woman, who was tossing the stolen artifact up and down. His posture seemed both hostile and on guard, but lowered it when he recognized who it was.

He smirked. "Impressive… There's only a handful of people on this planet who are capable of sneaking up on me without me knowing…"

"Huh… and here I was thinking you'd be all surprised…" she said, "I mean, with everything you're capable of, I thought you'd let it get to your head."

Ryan crossed his arms. "I suppose you don't know me as well as you thought you did. Anyone knows that few things surprise me these days."

"Oh…" she nearly laughed, tossing the artifact high into the air and catching it without even looking, "You have no idea what you're in for…"

It was then that she came out of the shadows. A young woman slightly taller than Val was. She walked toward him with a lot of composure in every step, but upstairs, she had an aggressive look on her face with clenched fists.

Furthermore, she was wearing nothing but black and green.

Val wasn't impressed. "Considering how short and disappointing our previous encounter was, I believe I'll pass on this one, Shego."

And like the first time they encountered, Shego sported a different leather jumpsuit and a small leather vest, similar to her old jumpsuit but much darker. In a way, it nearly matched Val's leather trenchcoat.

"Hah… I wasn't even trying that time," was Shego's excuse. "I just wanted to see if you were what everyone said you were. You know, I always thought that if someone had to be a real pain in Kimmie's rear, it'd be someone who could do everything she could and probably more. But a teenager, let alone five days older than Possible? Here you are tackling the mafia and gangsters, leaving them so scared they're put in mental asylums, all while everyone else your age is out partying, putting on makeup and talking on their cell phones, playing dorky fantasy games, watching anime, and probably trying to get that cute guy or girl they don't have a chance with. But then again, reading about your past and all, you're not exactly normal now, are you? Sounded too good to be true, so I wanted to see if you were the real deal. What can I say? I had high expectations… and you didn't disappoint."

Val quickly grew impatient. "If you're still seeking out some kind of alliance, bother me some other time when I'm not busy. I have things to do, and unless you want me to show you the true meaning of hell, you're going to drop that artifact you're holding, run like hell and _pray_ I don't come after you…" He then took a step forward, in which Shego took a step back.

But she didn't lose her cool. "Easy now, kid Dracula." Seeing how serious he was, Shego decided to take a quick look at the object she was holding. She hadn't seen anything like it herself. "What exactly are you up to, anyway?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with," Val snapped. He then lent out his hand, asking for the artifact back. "Now we can do this the easy and smart way, or the stupid and hard way…"

Shego wasn't intimidated. "You really think I'm going to give this back to you?"

"If you value your life…" he answered.

"Sorry pal, we're doing this _my_ way. You want it..." Shego then placed the small artifact in one of her pockets, "…Come and get it!"

And Val did so just as the 't' left her tongue, ready to crush her throat with one hand. But to his surprise, he didn't catch her. Shego swiftly leapt back into the elevator and disappeared. Ryan darted inside, which took on a radically different appearance than before. Like everything else, the elevator also had several carved holes and crevices in a neat pattern, and in it, blue energy was flowing inside like glowing water, illuminating the entire elevator in a bright blue glow as opposed to the chamber that was dimly lit.

Val turned his head in just about every direction to find his challenger, but she was nowhere to be seen. But she had to have been somewhere down here. Escape just wasn't a possibility, considering the distance to the surface.

"Is it me or are you getting a little rusty?" Shego asked from behind, leaning against the elevator controls near the exit with crossed arms and a smug smile on her face. She then struck the controls, which sent them upward at an alarming speed. This only made Val even more infuriated.

"Stay out of this!" Val yelled at her, "You don't know what you're doing!"

Shego walked toward him with narrowed eyes and a smile. "Believe me, sport, I know exactly what I'm doing. You see, I didn't really come all the way over here just to fight you again. No… I came to find out exactly what you're up to…"

"And you want in… Forget it!" he yelled furiously. "I told you to stay the hell out of my way!"

"Yeah…" Shego said calmly, "but I don't take orders from you or anybody else. If you don't want to tell me, that's fine…"

It was then that she got into a fighting stance. But there was something about it, or Shego, that put Val on guard. It was definitely a kind of offensive Vale Tudo stance, personalized by Shego, of course. But with the way her arms and knees were bent, her stance would allowed her to maneuver around defensively as well. There was definitely something different about her, and it wasn't that Val saw it. He _felt_ it. With the way she was carrying herself and with the green flames in her eyes, she was ready to kill a tiger with her own bare hands.

And she could probably do it, too.

"…I'll beat the answers out of you instead…" she said with a serious look on her face.

And she wasn't stupid. Just by looking at her eyes one could see that she was determined to fight long and hard. Only a handful of people shared this look, and they weren't to be underestimated. For Val, Shego showed the eyes of a true and perhaps worthy opponent, probably by will alone. But there was something else that made Val realize she was dead serious about this.

"What, no flaming plasma hands?" he asked.

For once, Shego didn't light them up. "Not this time."

There was no avoiding it now. Something just told him not to underestimate her. "If it's a fight you want, it's a fight you'll get." Val then cracked the knuckles of both of his hands simply by moving his fingers. "But you picked the wrong time to get in my way…" He still didn't take a formal fighting stance, just standing still as before, but he didn't blink.

Shego nearly laughed, refusing to blink as well. "Please… You don't know what I can do…"

With the rumbling of the elevator moving upward at an intense velocity, the two just stared at each other.

Whoever blinked first would be open to the first blow.

And it was a long way to the top.

* * *

The temple had sat in an uncomfortable silence for some time now, but the tragic situation hadn't changed.

Kim was completely exhausted from everything that had gone on. First she fought Sean, then Monkey Fist, and then beat the hell out of Ron just to get his heart started. But it had nearly been an hour since her lips departed from his, and she had given up. But she had no idea what she was going to do now, as no thoughts came to mind. Leave the temple? Stay here? She only wrapped her arms around Ron's body and laid her head on his heart.

Rufus and Yori decided to leave her alone and not disturb her, but they went to see how Monkey Fist was doing. He was still unconscious, still suffering from the many injuries he sustained from Ron, both possessed and after he was turned back to normal. Unlike Ron, he had a decent pulse and had a steady rate of breathing. None of his injuries required serious medical attention, but it'd be a while before he'd wake up.

Even though he no longer had his powers, it appeared at first that he looked entirely human again. But somehow, he actually still had the features of a monkey written all over his face. The difference was hardly noticeable.

Suddenly, Kim let out a startled cry, almost being knocked back away from Ron. It was like being kicked in the face by a baby still in the womb. It instantly caught everyone else's attention.

"Possible-san? What is it?"

But Kim didn't respond to them, quickly and frantically crawling back to Ron. She was quickly checking his vitals all over again like an excited child. Noting this, Yori and Rufus quickly ran towards Ron.

"I've got a pulse!" Kim cried excitedly as she put her head near Ron's mouth. "He's breathing again! He's alive! Yori, he's alive!"

And for a split second, Yori was met with hysterical if not maniacal eyes. Just to make sure Kim wasn't going crazy, Rufus went in to check as well. Sure enough. Kim let out a long exhausted sigh, panting and somewhat embarrassed from how worked up she got about everything earlier. All this stress and anguish for nothing. But it was true. Just as suddenly as he died, he was alive again. She quickly picked Ron up from the waist up, hugging him tightly in her arms.

"I knew you wouldn't leave me all alone!" She was the happiest girl alive.

But he still wasn't responsive. He was alive, that was given, but he wasn't waking up. Kim shook him repeatedly, moved his head back and forth, and kind of slapped him around a bit, but he wasn't waking up.

Kim realized what this really meant. "Oh Ron…"

Yori noticed as well. "Possible-san… you don't think…"

Kim nodded. "A coma… Oh man… why? He was fine!" She only let out a frustrated groan. "Well… better in a coma than dead. As long as he's alive and sort of back to normal, that's all that really matters… I'll stay by his side until he wakes up…" She grabbed him again and let out another long exhausted sigh. "But… why did it happen? I'm pretty sure the mystical powers revived him, like the time he almost died when we went to Everest…"

"I remember," Yori said, crossing her arms in thought, "The explosion had him crushed between steel walls and a steel door, something that should have killed anyone, yet he survived and healed right away."

Kim went on. "Exactly… But why did his heart stop? Was it because of the powers going back into his body?"

Yori had a different theory. "Perhaps it was due to the sudden physical change of his body. Did you happen to know if his transformation went beyond his outer appearance?"

Kim took a moment to think. "Now that you mention it… Wade mentioned that he couldn't pick Ron up on any kind of bio-scans before we found him in Kowloon. That's right… he said even Ron changed on the inside…"

"And Stoppable-san told you he slowly transformed in a period of six months… Perhaps his body tried to reject the sudden change? I don't think the human body can handle such drastic quick changes like that…"

"But he saved me earlier. Why would it happen _after_ he was back to normal? He was doing fine! I don't know…" But Kim found herself agreeing with Yori. "but if that's true, it explains why he's not waking up. He had the worst change out of all of them. Monty only aged and Rufus only got a bit of hair. But I'm sure the powers will heal him… And maybe this is happening because the powers are really working their way into his body." She sighed again, no less confused than before. "Now that he's alive again, we've got to get him to a hospital… but every city we've gotten near has black suits all over the place…" It was something the two witnessed from the train ride.

Yori didn't seem worried. "Do not worry. To be honest… I actually anticipated that something like this would happen to Stoppable-san, given how unpredictable the mystical powers have been."

"Anticipated? Why didn't you tell me that when Ron was lying here dead?" Kim wasn't too thrilled to hear that word.

"I'm sorry. I suspected a coma, but not death," Yori said in her defense. "But I thought he would require some kind of medical attention. Because the entire region is looking for you, I contacted Eiji-san and requested he pick us up by helicopter."

"Does Yamanouchi have the proper medical equipment?"

"Yes, we do. After all, it is a ninja school, and many students do get injured in the training. Unlike some of the more brutal schools, we help take care of them."

"And it's safe on Mount Yamanouchi, so we don't have to worry about the suits… I just hope it's not too long, then… so when did you contact Eiji?"

"Yesterday," Yori answered.

"Yesterday?" Kim asked all surprised. So he was already well on his way.

Speak of the devil. The entire place started to shake with the engines of a helicopter being heard outside.

"Yori, you so rock," Kim said with a relieved smile.

Yori only giggled. "It was my honor, Possible-san."

Part of the ceiling started to crumble with the landing far outside, but it wasn't threatening. Since their ride was here, Kim got Ron and her bag, and they were all out of there in an instant.

They were met with the high winds of the propeller blades the second they stepped outside. It was also raining, but it was a calm, beautiful storm. The girls found it refreshing just to inhale the air. One of the hatch doors on the helicopter soon opened, and five ninjas came out, all graduates except one, who was wearing a more stylized outfit. He also happened to be the shortest of the other four, and also didn't cover his face. Oddly enough, when he walked up to the girls, he was the tallest of them all, though not by much.

Yori greeted him. "You're right on time, Eiji-san."

He smiled lightly as his long red scarf flew in the calm winds. "Great. I was afraid we were a little late. So I take it you were successful in retrieving the mystical monkey powers from Stoppable-san, Rufus-san, and Monkey Fist, and channeling them back to the true master?"

Rufus nodded from Yori's shoulder. "Yup. But…"

Kim shared Rufus' concern. "He was perfectly fine after the powers went back into him… but he suddenly dropped dead. He came back to life somehow, but he's not waking up. We think it had something to do with him turning from a monster back to human in a snap."

"It's probable," Eiji said, concerned and puzzled, "but mystical powers are anything but predictable. In any case we'd better get back to Yamanouchi as soon as we can to help him."

"Right," Kim said with a nod. "Let's hurry."

And with that, everyone got back onto the helicopter, the doors closed, and the helicopter took to the rainy skies once again. It disappeared in the rainstorm within seconds.

* * *

It was Shego that made the first move.

Her first attack came in the form of a close quarters combat grapple of sorts, but she couldn't drive her opponent off balance or off his feet. Val quickly grabbed both of Shego's hands and threw them upward, leaving her wide open for anything. In this case, he was going to thrust the palm of his right hand into her abs. Surprisingly, Shego spun to Val's right side after grabbing his hand, placing them side by side. She then grabbed Val's other hand, putting their backs together. This actually put Valia at a better advantage than Shego. If he could at least place a foot on her back and perform a somersault, she'd be eating the ground and have a boot snap her spine in half. But Shego wouldn't make it easy, fighting to get her own move in. But to her surprise, Val wasn't exactly a weightlifter, and she tried to hurl him over her shoulders. But he wouldn't allow that. Finally, both tried to turn around with their hands still together, but Shego actually managed to throw Val as she did this, which sent him spinning wildly in the air, parallel to the floor. He spun at least six or seven times before landing on the floor.

"Clever…" he complimented, "Hiding your true abilities so you could give your opponent a false impression of your true techniques."

Shego took the opportunity to leap at Val while spinning her body, meant to confuse her opponent into what she was about to do next. But she did it with a bent knee, telling Val that she was going in for a spinning kick. Sure enough, Shego tried to strike his face, but he countered with a spinning kick of his own, meeting hers. Kick collided with kick in every direction. Shego went in high, Val went high. But she was swift, moving her leg side to side, up and down, and with no pattern. But every kick Val made kept stopping Shego's, but when she went for a low kick, Val stepped on her idle foot and went in for a shoulder tackle. However, Shego actually anticipated this and crossed her arms together. Although she fell on her back, she was able to put one of her feet on Val's abs and pulled him toward her. With her other leg, she also put that one in the same place and thrusted her legs up as fast as she could. This sent Val flying high in the air, well over twenty feet, which allowed Shego to get back up. Expecting for Val to turn his body so that he'd land on his feet, she decided she was going to jump and attack him while he was coming down. In this case, a well-placed fist into his face.

But somehow, in mid-air, he grabbed Shego's fist, turned his body so that he would land on his feet anyway, put his feet on Shego's shoulders, jumped, and kicked the back of her head, sending her across the room and into the ground head-first. He made several somersaults before landing.

"But I'm just afraid it's not enough," Val taunted. "You have skill, that's a given, but you're going to have to do better than that!"

It took Shego awhile to get back onto her feet, in which she challenged Val herself. "Why don't you come and attack me for a change?"

"As you wish."

Shego immediately dove out of the way before the words left Val's mouth, and it was a good thing she did. Just as she was in the air, Val had already slid across the room and struck with a missed left shoulder thrust that, if connected, would allow him to follow-up with a right-armed attack with another kick. Shego attempted to trip Val from this opening, but since his knees were already bent, he didn't budge. He tried to kick her in retaliation, but Shego made an evasive roll right after her failed attack.

"I never pictured you as the defensive type…" Val taunted.

Shego rolled onto her feet and did a right hook, which she faked into a right elbow, followed by a fake left which turned into an airborne spinning kick, one where she turned her body parallel to the ground. The end result would have Shego's leg come down on her opponent's forehead. But she landed on her feet instead. Ryan had sidestepped from each attack and kept his distance. When Shego turned to him, he was already running at her and did a somersault, performing an upside-down spinning kick that would have easily sent her flying if it made contact. Shego played limbo and leaned back as much as she could to avoid the oncoming attack, and the only thing that hit her nose was one of the shoelaces.

The instant he landed Val quickly tried to backhand Shego with his left fist, but she grabbed it with both of her hands. But before allowing him to counterattack, Shego drove all of her weight onto his back in an attempt to knock him down and put his arm in a painful lock. But Val countered anyway, spinning his body and forcing Shego to fall on her back. She rolled to avoid taking the full blow, and once she got up, the two were just facing each other again.

"Make your move," Val challenged.

Again, Shego took advantage of his idle moment and grabbed one of his hands. She then attempted to thrust her shoulder into his chest, but even with a hand grabbed, he still side-stepped. He moved himself so that his back would again be against Shego's, but she actually released him and turned around so she had a clear shot at his back. Without thought she wrapped both of her arms around his neck and jumped in the air, using all of her weight to knock him down on his face, which she pulled off easily. She quickly rolled forward out of the way afterward, placing her past Val's head.

Val quickly shot his legs upward and flipped himself, attempting to send his feet crashing down on Shego. But she was too far away and only flipped himself on his back. But just as one foot hit the ground, he somehow performed a back somersault kick. But Shego backed up just as the wind blew past her nose, and the missed attack left Val wide open. Before he could land, Shego quickly charged at him and tackled him to the ground, leaving him pinned with her on top. She also pinned his arms with her knees before pounding him, or at least trying. She was able to punch him across the face repeatedly, but the moment she tried to punch his face into the ground, he managed to move his head out of the way, causing Shego to punch nothing but solid ancient rock, and you couldn't break that even with explosives.

Feeling as if she broke her hand, Shego cried in pain but not for long. Val rolled out of the way, knocking her off in the process. He quickly took the opportunity to fly at her with a kick, but Shego miraculously spun aside as if nothing happened, leapt in the air and wrapped her legs around Val's neck. She used all the weight in her body to force him to crash on his face again. But she was too close when she got up, allowing Val to sweep her off her feet, and with enough force to cause her to flip backward once before landing on her face. Just as she flipped upside down, he managed to get up and used the same leg to kick Shego straight in the gut, sending her across the ring.

After that, the two had engaged in pure hand-to-hand, but much to Shego's luck and Val's surprise, they couldn't get a move in on each other. Shego tried to strike Val with a well-placed punch to the neck, but he grabbed it and attempted to counterattack. But Shego managed to escape the counter with her own, and Val wound up escaping that one just to form another. No matter what they tried, going high or low, they kept canceling out each other's moves. Shego couldn't hit Ryan, but he couldn't touch her, either. This went on for a good minute before one of them was able to break the ice.

And it was Ryan, placing his foot behind one of Shego's and shot it upward, flipping her in the air backward. Normally, this would have caused her to land right on her head, but Val took it to a different level. Instead of stopping, with his foot hooked on Shego's he spun his leg in clockwise motion, fast enough to keep Shego suspended in the air and spinning. But he wouldn't stop, going faster and faster and keeping Shego trapped spinning in the air. It wasn't long before she sounded like she was getting dizzy and sick, and Val suddenly stopped with his foot high in the air, but that didn't mean Shego would suddenly stop. She spun all the way around before her face crashed into Val's boot, and before she could fall down, his foot came crashing down on Shego's abs like an axe, knocking the wind out of her the moment she was knocked into the floor.

Valia then flipped backward twice before launching himself in the air with a few somersaults. Shego coughed loud and harsh as if she was going to hurl, having to struggle to get on her feet.

"There's absolutely no need for this…" her opponent simply told her, "Your technique is better than I thought, perhaps on par with Kim, but this is pointless. Just give me what I need."

Shego growled angrily as she got onto her knees, holding her stomach tightly. "You're… You're not even trying! You're not even giving it your best shot!"

Val crossed his arms with an insipid look on his face. "Why waste unneeded energy? Don't get me wrong, I can tell that you've gone through harsh and serious self-training, but I'm sensing a little more than just that…"

Shego grunted. "Wha… What do you mean?"

"You're a self-trained fighter, but I'm noticing some of your attacks were performed with careful precision… Who trained you?"

"Shut up!" Shego yelled, "Nobody's trained me!"

Val rolled his eyes. "The face of a liar. Well, if you're not going to tell me… that's fine."

Shego grunted as she struggled to get on one foot. "Everyday in that godforsaken prison cell I trained… all so I could get revenge on Possible for leaving her mark on me…" She turned her face away, showing Val the long scar on her left cheek she suffered on Prom night.

"I actually forgot about that…" he plainly said, "But that's not all. Some of those grips, holds and thrusts were performed no different than a martial arts master. Not something you can learn on your own without someone's aid."

Shego continued to grunt in pain as she got onto both of her feet, standing upright. "Just shut up already!" She then sprinted across the room to pound him, but the sprinting only proved Val's theory further.

"It's not enough to win, Shego. You're only wasting your time."

And finally when she reached him, she actually attempted to swipe her nails across his face (with gloves) with her left hand. But Ryan sidestepped to her left, sending her flying past him. Furthermore, in his evasion he sent his arms flying outward, actually striking the back of Shego's head with his right shoulder blade, right shoulder, and right bicep. She hit the ground so hard she was sent rolling.

"The training wasn't enough, I suppose."

Shego growled more as she got onto her feet and attempted to strike Ryan with the same move. But he would counterattack with the same move. The problem was that he was underestimating her mind, thinking she'd fall into the trap yet again. Just as she swiped her nails with her other hand, Val went in for the same counter. But Shego went low, avoiding the impact from his shoulders by placing herself between them, and spun herself so she had a clear shot at Val's back again. She wrapped her arms around his torso, leapt and spun in the air, slamming the back of his shoulders into the ground.

But he quickly followed with a handspring, driving both of his feet into her gut, then flipped backward, catching Shego's jaw with a foot.

He popped his neck loudly once he was back on his feet. "You're good but you have no real strategy. Your best simply isn't good enough."

Shego rubbed the bottom of her face, smiling. "My best? You think this is my best? Are you serious?"

Val rolled his eyes with a disgruntled look on his face. "Then stop wasting my time and fight me with everything you've got!"

Suddenly, he was sent flying across the room and into the wall. However, because the wall was flying past them at a intensely fast speed, Val was quickly sent crashing into the ground just as fast as the elevator was rising. Any more pressure and it would have been enough to break his back, his shoulders and his skull. Now it was his turn to struggle getting up, but he managed to roll on his stomach. From what he could see, a trail of green smoke hovered above him, all the way from where he crashed to Shego's hand. She stood across the ring from him, looking so calm and casual, blowing the smoke from her hand. She laughed as she got into her usual fighting stance, with both of her hands engulfed in green flames.

"Aw, Val…" Shego taunted in an exaggerated mother-like voice, "Did you really think I'd fight fair?"

Val crawled as far as he could away from the walls. "Heh… as a matter of fact…" He nearly lost his balance as he pushed himself onto his feet. "No."

But Shego saw that he was clearly in pain, fighting against it. It was the perfect opportunity to ambush him, but she chose not to. Val took a few steps toward her, and with each step forward he took, she took a step back. But with the sinister smirk on her face, she sure had a plan.

"Don't bother picking out that whip, Ryan…" she said, "That's not going to help."

His hand was nearing it. "I'll take my chances."

As Val struggled to walk toward her, Shego put all of the plasma energy into one hand, but the hissing sound the flame made was slowly getting louder. Also, the shape soon turned from that of a flame to an orb of some sorts, getting bigger each second, and the color got more intense as more energy was gathered. It wasn't a technique Kim had seen before, but it became clear to Val what was going on. Shego was actually charging up the energy in her hand. Right after that realization, the entire area was lit in green for a split second. Shego's smile only got bigger. The ball of energy was unstable and ready to blow.

"Fine… have it your way."

And after letting out a loud enraged yell, Shego threw the plasma ball as hard as she could into the floor, but she threw it right at her feet. Suddenly, a massive explosion rocked Val's side of the arena, taking up half of the elevator floor. It sent him long and high into the air, sending him crashing against the walls again. But he leapt off before the elevator floor would come up and hit him like a fly on a windshield.

But Shego wouldn't let him land. She fired off a series of plasma beams with both hands, but Ryan evaded them by leaping aside and stepping aside. He also realized that something was different about this attack, as the beams narrowly missed him, not completely like before. Indeed, the speed of Shego's beams were much, much faster than in Kim's high school days, nearly rivaling the speed of bullets. Finally, Shego put both of her hands together and fired one huge blast that was no slower than the other ones, blasting her attacker away further.

Val quickly got onto his feet when he heard the sound of Shego charging up another plasma explosive, but his senses weren't all there, either. A drink of water or something of the sort would fix it, but not in the middle of a fight. Instead, she was idle as she charged up; the opening he needed, one in which he required a weapon. But the moment Val started to rush at her, Shego was done charging up her explosive and blasted it into the wall. Again, the explosion was huge, going off on the sides and knocking Val down.

Him, and the weapon he was holding. It was his plasma whip.

Shego quickly saw it, and realizing what he was going to do, ran straight for the weapon. "Oh no you don't!"

And seeing her run for it, Val kicked the floor, which sent him airborne just a couple of inches. But it was enough to get him back on his feet and allowed him to sprint toward the weapon.

The race was pretty even, although it looked like Val had a narrow speed advantage. They both dove for the weapon, but right before Val's fingers touched it, Shego blasted him with another plasma beam.

However, just as he was sent flying back, something flew out of his jacket and flew forward. It looked like a grenade, and it landed right below Shego's jaw, just as her fingers were an inch away from the whip. But she couldn't grab the whip before the grenade itself had gone off, but it wasn't a lethal frag grenade. Just as it had gone off, Shego was screaming, quickly getting up and trying to rub off whatever had blown up in her face, dropping the whip as she struggled to fight the smoke on her face.

Val seemed somewhat confused himself, but then he realized something. One of his tear gas grenades was missing. But with Shego yelling in pain, swinging her hands in all kinds of directions, he rushed back toward where the whip was. It was that moment that Shego started to blindly fire beams in just about every direction she could, and one just happened hit Val right before he could retrieve his weapon.

"What the hell?" she yelled, completely blind. "You bastard! Make it stop, make it stop!"

It hurt like hell to open her eyes, but she saw for a split second where Val was and kept firing quick beams at him. He had to get on his feet and backflip his way out of it, as Shego fired many consecutive beams that would have hit him if he didn't move. But Shego made a calculating move, aiming a little further behind Val, and fired. He wound up flipping into the beam and was knocked on his head again.

Shego had to close her eyes again, yelling and growling furiously. She put her hands together and tried to channel as much energy into her hands as she could. Val was about to go for the whip again, but he found himself watching what his challenger was trying to do. She was panting with a huge smile on her face as the plasma in her hands grew brighter, and the more energy that gathered, the bigger the smile on Shego's face got.

"Tell me if you've seen this one before, Val…"

Suddenly, her entire body was engulfed in green flames. She started laughing maniacally with a psychotic look on her face, and even that energy was placed into the ball. The entire elevator quickly became windy, with the plasma trying to absorb whatever it could. Val saw that his whip was being pulled toward it, and seeing the imminent threat, he ran to retrieve it. But that moment, Shego laughed loudly.

"**NOW YOU'RE MINE!"** she yelled.

Upon releasing this plasma energy, a loud explosion blinded Val for a brief second. But when he opened his eyes, if he didn't realize it then, he realized it now. Shego was dead serious about this.

She released a total of _twenty huge homing_ lasers aimed right at him.

Val usually wasn't surprised by anything.

This was an exception, plain and simple.

"Shit…!"

But the lasers didn't immediately go after him. Instead they circled around the room, giving the opening he needed. As fast as he could, he ran toward his whip. But on Shego's command (in this case, moving her finger), the first laser beam shot itself right at him, striking him straight in the gut and completely knocked the wind out of him. With no time to recover, the second one immediately struck, followed by the third, fourth and so on. The lasers had practically juggled him high in the air, and they all did considerable damage to him, like being struck across the face with a water heater like a bat over and over and over again. It completely exhausted Shego, who had collapsed and was trying to regain her breath.

Val hit the ground no different than someone who was pushed right off their house and straight onto pure concrete, experiencing a new level of hurt next to his left arm being blasted off by a shotgun. He struggled to get up, but he wound up coughing and throwing up a lot of blood, almost collapsing in it. It was really a miracle that he was still conscious. His eyes went wide when he heard that Shego was attempting to do it again.

But she didn't do it without thinking it through. Charging up such an attack would leave her completely vulnerable, right? To counter that, she somehow made the energy orb in her hands produce a protective barrier around her. If Ryan got anywhere near her, he'd be sent flying, and it wouldn't cancel out what she was trying to do.

The plasma whip wasn't within the barrier. Val struggled to get on his feet, but he wound up slipping on his blood and nearly cracked his jaw with the fall. The most he could do was crawl, as many of the homing lasers had bruised up his legs pretty badly, along with the rest of his body excluding his face.

"Didn't… didn't see that one coming… did ya?" Shego weakly asked as she prepared herself, but she couldn't see him due to all the green energy lighting the entire elevator.

Just as he was starting to get close, the charge was drawing in the whip closer to Shego, and more significantly, the barrier. Val struggled to crawl faster to reach it. It was all over if the whip slipped into barrier, and if Shego struck him one more time with the homing attack, it would _truly_ be all over for him.

Then it happened. The whip flew into the barrier.

But not the entire thing. Val grabbed the handle halfway through, and held onto it for dear life, trying to pull it as much as his strength would allow.

But he pulled it out, which sent him flying back to the center of the ring. With a boost of confidence, he managed to get onto his feet, albeit painfully. He cracked the whip and it lit up no different than the green plasma flames from hell that stood before him.

Shego roared as she released her attack once again, but it wasn't exactly the same one as before. There was the blinding flash as before, but instead of sending twenty homing lasers at Val, she sent thirty. Furthermore, they didn't circle around the room this time. They went straight for him.

In a desperate move, Val spun his entire body while holding the whip high in the air, making it spin like the propeller blades of a helicopter. Every one of Shego's plasma lasers flew at him at full speed, but she couldn't believe what had happened when it was all over.

"WHAT?"

The whip actually absorbed every laser beam, but it was completely unstable. But Val quickly collapsed from the dizziness, giving Shego an opening. But Val was too close, so she needed distance. She tried to charge up another big explosion attack, the one she used way earlier on Val, but instead she charged up a different one. Again, she threw it to the ground, and a series of five explosions went off one after another, all juggling him in the air. It sent him to the wall again, but he merely kicked off of it, allowing him to roll on the floor as it came up.

"One more time… Just once more!" Shego yelled.

And she began to execute her final move one more time, unable to move. Val struggled to get onto his feet, but he found the weight of the plasma beam to be far heavier than before. He tried to pick it up with both hands, with his mechanical arm dealing with the glowing tip of the whip, and it made several of his nerves feel numb where his mechanical arm connected to his human body. The weapon was heavy, and it took all of his energy to get across the room. The whip was also unstable, though. If it tried to absorb anymore energy, it'd be destroyed.

But Shego was preparing up her attack rather quickly, and Val knew it. He tried as fast as he could to get close to her, as Shego failed to put up the protective barrier this time. A perfect shot was all he needed, but it wouldn't mean anything if she made the first attack. Unfortunately for him, he was just too far away, and it hurt like hell to just walk. The weight, the injuries, the whip, and blood trailing from his mouth. Just then, the winds stopped.

Shego was done.

"Let's see how you like **_FORTY!"_**

This was it. Unless Val did something, he'd wouldn't be sitting at ground zero, he'd _be_ ground zero. As if all his strength became one, he leapt at Shego and aimed the whip right at the glowing plasma ball from hell.

She fired at the exact same time the whip cracked it. It didn't hit Shego exactly what she had done until it was too late. It was times like these where she forgot she wasn't immune to her own attacks.

A huge explosion just completely rocked the entire elevator, causing it to malfunction and putting the room in blackout for a few seconds. It was enough to send both fighters into the walls and into the floor, which actually cracked in some places.

Other than the damaged creaks of the elevator, all was silent.

Yet, one of them miraculously didn't lose consciousness, or so it seemed.

"_Valia…"_

He found himself groaning loudly feeling like hell all over.

"_Val… get up…"_

The voice was close by and it wasn't Shego's. He could barely open his eyes, but he couldn't make out the figure in front of him.

"_V… get up…"_

But it soon came into focus. Purple pigtails.

"U… Uso…" he grumbled.

"_No…"_ the voice said, _"Hear me… don't you recognize my voice? V… you have got to get up."_

Her voice. It wasn't a soft delicate and innocent voice, like Uso's. Instead, it was deeper, more harsh and abrasive. Anything but delicate. But it was one Val recognized.

"E... Enya…? No… that's impossible… you're dead…" He couldn't open his eyes all the way to get all the details. He looked at what she wore, but it was a trenchcoat similar to his.

"_That means nothing… The facts don't change what's going on. Get up…"_

"I'm seeing things…"

"_You're not…"_ she said sternly, _"Listen to me… the fight's not over… you have to get up and win… Didn't I teach you not to give up until you were already dead? God, you disappoint me…"_

Finally, Val was able to open his eyes.

"V, get up. Don't make me sock you across the face… GET UP!_"_

But he was too weak to. Finally, the figure in front of him cracked her knuckles and did as she threatened she would.

It sent Val flying across the elevator with a trail of blood flying out of his mouth the whole way. He struggled to get back up, feeling worse than earlier. He could hear the moans of another person in the room, apparently regaining consciousness. He couldn't see a thing, but he could certainly hear the voices.

"_Lexis?_ What the hell are you doing here?" he heard Shego yell. "He's mine! Stay out of this!"

Val tried to turn to see what was going on, but before he could, the girl who perfectly resembled his mentor grabbed him by the throat and thrusted her fist into his gut, followed by a brutal ass-kicking. He couldn't see, but he knew exactly what moves he was being attacked with, but was far too weak to counter. But he was able to escape from it and finally open his eyes. When everything came into focus, he found the purple-haired girl standing in front of him with a harsh look on her face, and Shego, who was struggling to stand up.

Val's blue eyes met with the purple ones. "Who the hell are you…?"

But the girl ignored him, turning her back to him to talk to Shego instead. "I softened him up for you… shouldn't be too hard to take down now."

"Why are you here?" Shego asked angrily. "I told you I wanted to take him on all by myself!"

"You're taking too long," Lexis calmly replied, "A fight is about life and death, and to win. There is no room for enjoying the cheap thrills of it."

Shego and the girl simply glared at each other, but Val took the moment to take out a water bottle and suck it down. It was enough to replenish quite a bit of stamina. But just as he finished the bottle, he quickly rushed to the girl called Lexis and was about to snap her spine in half. However, Shego intervened by catching this and clothes-lined Val in mid-air.

She couldn't believe it. "He _still_ wants to fight?"

Lexis watched with a tired look. "Just finish him already with what you have."

Val quickly got onto his feet, and realizing the odds were against him, he still tried to fight, but expectedly, he couldn't get a move in. Whenever he tried to attack Lexis, Shego intervened. Whenever he tried to attack Shego, Lexis interfered and usually did more damage. He couldn't get a move in without the girls screwing everything up for him. But he wasn't going to give up. Just as Lexis said, he wouldn't give up until he was dead, but it wasn't what they were after (well, Shego, anyway).

Finally, after Val attempted to strike the younger-looking girl with a shoulder strike, Shego came from the side armed with a taser and shoved it straight into him. Val wouldn't give up so easily, refusing to fall.

Lexis looked at Shego. "I'll let you have the last move."

So Shego backhanded him, which finally knocked him down. She also got on top of him to pin him in place. He couldn't get up.

Shego smiled at her helpless victim. "Obviously not what you expected when you woke up this morning, was it?"

"Even better…" he weakly answered, looking to Lexis, "I suppose my plan can wait for now…"

Shego grabbed his face so that he was looking at her. "And I thought you'd be all crying and shocked because I beat you."

"Beat me?" he scoffed, "As far as I'm concerned… unless you beat me in a fair fight… you haven't won anything…"

"Aw, that's so noble of you to want to play by the rules…" Shego said sarcastically with a calm face. "Too bad I just don't care."

Val could only look at her. "What a disappointment…"

Shego smirked at him. "Yeah… and you're one of them."

And with that, she socked him across the face as hard as she could with both of her fists, knocking him unconscious. After she smiled, satisfied with Val's lifeless, unconscious face, she collapsed to the side, exhausted and tired. Lexis offered to help her on her feet, but Shego rejected and managed to get up on her own. Just barely.

Her face was anything but friendly. "Those moves you thought you taught me were useless. They didn't do anything to him."

The bored look on Lexis' face didn't fade. "I'm surprised you actually lasted against him for so long. So how did you do it?"

Shego didn't really take what she said as a compliment, but still answered the last one. "That wasn't hard to figure out… How do you take on someone who fights strictly at close-range? You take him on at far range…"

Lexis barely smiled. "I suppose you're smarter than you look. So what do you want to do with him, now?"

If Shego wasn't so exhausted she would have taken on the girl as well. "I'll take him. Thanks to you I wasn't able to get answers out of him," she said angrily.

"You're the one who knocked him out," Lexis calmly retorted.

"Shut up…" Shego snarled, "Everything would have gone so nicely if you didn't arrive."

"I had to do what I had to do." Lexis wasn't going to speak more than that.

Frustrated, Shego managed to pick up Val's body, carrying him over her one of her shoulders. It was then that there was a shift in the elevator, and it started to slow down. Despite its damage, the elevator came to a calm stop at the top, in which it shut down. The two started to walk toward the entrance of the ruins, but Shego noticed Val's whip next to her. But she continued on without it, leaving it behind.

The sound of thunder would greet them as the two walked out of the ancient ruins.

* * *

"Possible-san?"

Kim was taken out of her moment of thinking. "Uh, yeah, what's up?"

"What's the matter?" Yori asked. "You seem troubled… more than usual."

"Oh…" Kim said with a slightly embarrassed look, not realizing it was obvious. "I just can't shake the feeling that we forgot something."

* * *

He groaned loudly as he grabbed his head, waking up with an instant headache.

"What did I ever do to deserve this wretched fate… the powers are no longer in me… I am nothing… nothing…"

Monty struggled to get onto his feet, depressed out of his mind that the mystical powers were no longer in him. He spun in circles in the temple, looking at the damage caused by him and Stoppable.

"What am I to do now? I cannot be the true monkey master without the mystical monkey powers! I cannot probably even perform a single punch…"

And he did, but to his surprise, it looked no different than those he performed with the powers in him.

He gasped. "Can it be? Is it still in me?"

Monty then tried out his repertoire of moves, from stances, kicks, punches and flips. All done like a master.

He was ecstatic. "It's true! None of it has left me! None of the skills have left me! I am still a master of Tai Shing Pek Kwar!"

Poor Monty. He had absolutely no idea that the powers did absolutely _nothing_ for his skills in the first place.

"I can still be the ultimate monkey master! I am Monkey Fist!" he then faced one of the pillars that hadn't been destroyed. "Just wait! The world will bow to my power!"

Then he decided he'd destroy the pillar with his fist just as he did with his earlier fight with Kim.

It didn't even crack.

"**AHHHHHH!"** he screamed in pain. "Curse it all!" He blew on his fist, brushed it back and forth, did just about everything to ease the pain, even kiss his fingers. "Curse you, Kim Possible! Just you wait! I will have my revenge!"

Just then, the pillar collapsed into small pieces. The weak punch was all it needed to break apart.

"Oh? What is this? Do my eyes deceive me?"

Suddenly, the entire place started shaking. Looking around, Monty realized that he destroyed the last pillar in the room.

"Oh… bloody hell…"

The ceiling instantly began to cave in.

"I regret nothing!"

The entire place collapsed on him, burying him alive.

* * *

"Do… do you think it was important?" Yori asked.

"Beats me…" was all Kim could say, looking out the window and watching the rain as they flew north. "Maybe it's nothing…"

* * *

A few minutes passed before the rubble started shaking. Suddenly, a hairy hand shot outward, grabbing anything it could to pull on. Soon, another hand emerged, followed by a head and the rest of his body. He walked out from the debris of the temple-turned-ruins, and fell flat on his face into the mud. He picked himself up soon after, resting his head on his hand, supported by an elbow. He tapped his fingers on a rock next to him.

Monty sighed. "Well… it was worth a shot…"


	24. 23: Difference Between Hope and Despair

Sorry for an overdue chapter, and I'm somewhat disappointed in how this turned out. Well, here's what happened. There was supposed to be a total of fourteen scenes in this chapter, all planned out to the core. Well, there's only five of the fourteen here. I forgot that with the way they were planned out, they were long, and since these things are long as it is, you get the idea. So hopefully we'll see the next nine in the next upload. This isn't exactly a plot-advancing chapter, with some rants included. Like every other rant in the story (and the previous two), don't take it to heart. The writing just comes off that way, and it's still part of the story in my eyes. It's also one of those "let's explain some things that haven't been fully covered in previous chapters" chapters. A mix of writer's block and real life delayed this.

I just realized I've been working on this story for over five freaking months. I know it's long as heck, but geez. Well, if people are still reading it to this point, I must be doing something right. Unless you guys are skimming everything. Whatever the case, here's the next snippet of the story.

**Chapter 23: The Difference Between Hope and Despair**

**

* * *

**

When one wakes up from a good rest, they usually expect to find light when waking up. Instead, Kim found nothing but darkness when she opened her eyes.

She felt like she had been sleeping for hours, but not to the point where it jumped from early afternoon to the early morning hours. And despite having the best night of sleep in a long time, even when she was hardly awake, Kim easily remembered the time differences. When it was just after noon in Brazil, it was well past midnight in Japan. But add the flight hours, and it was definitely late in the early morning.

"I take it you slept well?" a friendly voice greeted.

Kim yawned and rubbed her eyes, knowing who it was without having to look at him. "Good morning, Eiji… Wow… I feel like I've slept for days or something…"

And for riding on a helicopter, it was an incredibly smooth ride. No bumps, twists and turns, and the noise of the propeller blades weren't that loud; something recently developed. Kim almost wanted to go back to sleep, but with the current situation, she couldn't. Finally opening her eyes, she found Eiji sitting across from her in the same place he had been the entire time, looking quite relaxed. The other ninjas looked no different than they did several hours ago, awake and alert, all but Yori, who sat next to her and was still asleep herself. But on Kim's other side was Ron, who was still in a coma, and Rufus, who was sleeping on his owner's shoulder. Now that she looked into the ninjas' eyes, Kim realized that most of them had their eyes on Ron. Curious? Envious?

Suddenly, the pilot yelled something to Eiji, but it was in Japanese. The ninja with a red scarf quickly answered something just to get a response back. A brief conversation broke out, and it was over just as fast as it started. Unfortunately for Kim, she had no idea what they said, and Eiji looked somewhat concerned.

"What's the matter?" she asked.

Eiji cleared his throat briefly. "Tanaka-san tells me it may not be a wise idea to take Ron directly into the school grounds, as his presence may distract the other students in their training, especially in the condition he's in. As trained as they are not to be so easily distracted, one student's curiosity can affect everyone else's practices."

"So what are we going to do?" Kim asked him.

He was quick to answer. "It was a while back that Sensei requested the school grounds be extended, due to an overwhelming growth of students joining the schools. Many of his students including myself started construction near the graduation temple during the time of, well, graduation. But with many ninja graduates departing, the construction proved to be unnecessary. Not to worry. It is far from the school, far enough that we can land the helicopter without waking up the others on the main grounds, but it's close enough for us to go back and forth and inform you of anything new from Sensei himself."

Kim looked relieved. "Thanks so much. You have no idea how much I appreciate this," she said calmly.

"We do what we can," he simply replied with a friendly smile. "It's the least we could do for you after you helped save Sensei from that Amy woman."

Kim looked somewhat embarrassed. "But that was such a long time ago!"

Just then, a bright light interrupted the darkness of the skies. Fortunately, there were windows to the sides that allowed Eiji and the ninjas on his side to see what it was.

"Look…" he said, "Sunrise."

Sure enough, a warm yellow light lit the skies which were anything but clear. The clouds were almost glowing pink and orange, no different than the sunset Kim witnessed the last time she was here. Like someone had gone over the skies with a paintbrush. After gazing at the sunrise, Eiji soon pointed out a lone building in the middle of the forest, which appeared to be a huge shrine. This was where the students came for graduation. Scattered around the area were a few buildings in the middle of construction, nearly sharing the appearance of houses destroyed by storms. Just so much wood. But from here, Kim could easily see the main school grounds. It was far, but not that far.

Upon the sun's rise, Yori soon snapped out of her own sleep. But like Kim, she was ready to fall right back, which wasn't usual for her. The ride really was that comfortable. After saying good morning to everyone and receiving the same words in return from her comrades, the plane began to slow down and began to descend into a small open field in the forest, just big enough for the helicopter to fit into. It took a couple of minutes for the blades to stop spinning, and once they did, the hatch doors opened and everyone leapt out. However, Ron wasn't being carried out by the girls, but rather the ninjas, who appeared to be interested in taking him elsewhere. It quickly caught Kim's attention, given the fact that Ron was being carried inside a big black bag.

Eiji was quick to explain. "When I informed Sensei I was leaving, he requested that I bring Ron's body to him for an analysis of his current condition as well as everything he had gone through as a cursed master. Because it requires deep concentration and use of his own powers, I'm afraid he doesn't allow anyone to be anywhere near his quarters. It'd be best if you stay here."

You could tell by the look on Kim's face that she didn't want to be distanced from Ron any longer than she already had been.

He tried to explain it to her. "It will be much easier on both of us if the other students are completely unaware of your presence as well as Ron's, especially with his condition. You're better off not being seen at all, and it's the only reason we're carrying Ron in a bag."

Kim didn't want to fight it, and while she knew why Eiji recommended against going on school grounds, she really wanted to.

"I won't force you to stay here against your own will," he said. "But…"

Kim shook her head. "No… it's fine. I'll stay." Enthusiastic about it she was not. "I don't want to get in the way."

Eiji felt bad just by hearing her voice. "Kim… once Sensei has completed his analysis on him, I will bring him right back here to you, and medical equipment if necessary. I promise."

Kim merely nodded. But she didn't like the idea of sitting around and doing nothing. This could take minutes to hours, and the former was unlikely.

"It's still very early in the morning, and you're still tired, Possible-san," a voice to her side spoke. It was Yori. "And you still haven't recovered from all of your injuries from your previous fights with Stoppable-san, Monkey Fist and Hanteren. You need more rest."

"I'm fine, Yori, really." Her argument failed when she let out a huge yawn. "Okay, I guess I'm still tired. Man, and I thought I got enough sleep."

Yori and Eiji could tell Kim was hiding her pain. She didn't show it, but she was hurting a lot. Bruises from the earlier battles, healed cuts that stung with the slightest contact, and sore muscles all over. What Kim really needed was to be put in a hospital bed.

"There is a medical room inside the graduation temple," Yori said. "That's where you should rest. I'll show you where it is."

They were all standing behind the huge building, not allowing Kim to see what it really looked like. She looked concerned as the other ninjas were about to run off in the direction of the main school grounds.

"Don't worry," Eiji tried to assure her, knowing it wouldn't work anyway. "We'll be back."

Trying not to look dramatic in front of Yori, Kim nodded and allowed the ninja girl to lead the way. Because they were behind the temple, there was nothing but a giant wooden wall. There was a small door that barely stood out, which led the way in. Almost. Yori removed her shoes before stepping inside, and asked that Kim do the same.

The floor of the building was painted black and was kept in incredible condition. Kim could see her reflection perfectly no different than a mirror. And with the dirt on her shoes? No way she wanted to get this floor dirty, so she took them off.

As Yori led the way down the hall, Kim noticed that the walls weren't much different than the floor. Black-painted shiny wood. Some of the doors had detailed patterns on them, painted in red and also covered with something metallic that looked like gold.

"Here we are, Possible-san."

Yori slid open one of the doors, revealing a room kept in perfect condition. Unlike the room Ron had to sleep in when he first came, there was a bed in here, along with several shelves full of various herbs and lotions. There was a window that provided the light, laminating the room in orange.

Yori not only suggested that Kim get more sleep on the bed, but she also recommended using the various herbs and lotions on the shelves to help treat her injuries. However, it required Kim to do it alone in privacy. After Yori explained in detail which injuries required specific herbs or lotions, she left Kim alone to do her thing, taking the vacancy of a nearby room to get more sleep. Kim noticed Yori was yawning a lot during the explanation, which was still a strange sight.

So with Yori gone and using the curtains to cover the window, Kim applied several of the herbs and lotions to various places all over her body, and she was shocked to find how many injuries she had all over her. While she was in constant pain since her duel with Ron, she didn't realize that under her clothes it was hard to determine that she had white skin. Cuts and bruises all over, and while a lot of them healed, not all of them did. But the herbs and lotions unfortunately didn't have the best smell in the world. So she felt funny when it was all over.

After opening the window again, it became even more tempting to go out and sneak into the Yamanuchi school grounds to get an idea of what was going on with Ron. So many images came in her head, but she wanted to respect Eiji's wishes and not interfere. After all, stealth infiltration into a _ninja_ school? She wouldn't get in undetected.

Sighing, she jumped on the bed and laid down. She actually sunk inside the mattress, which felt thousands of times more comfortable than the helicopter seats.

Yori practically had a question mark hovering over her head when she heard snoring from the room next to her.

* * *

Freezing metal. Muscles feeling sore. A missing limb. Spotlights blinding you. These were the things that quickly came to mind when he regained consciousness, along with the presence of someone else in the room. 

"Wakey, wakey…" the woman's voice teased.

Her prisoner noticed that his body was turning upward, but he was suspended against something and unable to move. When he was finally able to open his eyes, he found himself in an upright position in a small room with a few huge wires on the floor, lights on the top, a desk on the far end of the room with his jacket and equipment on it, and a few windows to his left. It looked like an abandoned lab just with how dark and beaten up the place looked. And while the lights on the ceiling were blinding at first, the entire room was dim with gloom. Looking around more, he realized what was keeping him from moving; he was strapped to a metal torture bed. Extremely heavy metal clamps kept his legs, right arm and neck in place. His left arm was completely detached, in the hands of the woman in front of him, staring at him with a satisfied smirk.

"Go…" Val weakly mumbled with disgust in his voice.

But Shego didn't say a word, just smiling, but the smile slowly got bigger and bigger until she started to chuckle. She looked more amused by the second. She was holding Val's mechanical arm in one hand, but she was hiding else behind her back. She circled the torture bed with her eyes never leaving Val's, with her chuckling never coming to a stop. It was the face of someone who learned a dark secret.

"Oh, Val…" Shego said in an amused voice, "You are _such_ a liar…!"

Ryan struggled to move his head, which wasn't easy with the clamp on his neck preventing him from doing so. "What… what are you talking about..?"

Shego started humming an upbeat tune, walking toward the desk far away while shaking her hips.

This couldn't be good.

After putting Val's arm on the desk, she walked toward him like a runway model with a flirtatious look in her eyes, and that smile of hers wouldn't get any smaller. Finally, she stopped in front of him, put her hands together near his knees, and gave Val an innocent look with her nose nearly on his.

"You are so evil!" she said, giving Val the exact same face she gave to Drakken when put under the moodulator on love mode, and speaking in the same tone, too. "I knew you couldn't hide it forever, Ryan. I knew it… I knew it all along…"

Trying to look down as much as he could, Val saw that Shego still had something in her hands, but he couldn't make out what it was.

"What are you boasting on about…?" he snarled.

Shego stopped the fake mushy attitude, somewhat. "Oh, don't play dumb with me, Val… I know exactly what you're up to. Just when I was starting to think you were really trying to help Kimmie save that buffoon boyfriend of hers, you actually had something else planned out, didn't you? I knew you were a hateful type, but wow… only someone like you could do something so big and get away with it… and without Possible to actually stop you… and you almost got away with it, too… You can try to play the hero with all your violent ways, Val, but deep inside… you really are evil."

Val grunted angrily. "And what do you know about real evil, Go? You're hardly in a position to lecture me about such a thing… I've seen true evil… and believe me, babe, you aren't it…" He then coughed loudly, still suffering from his prior injuries. "Besides… if you really know what I was planning to do… you'd know my reasons are anything but evil…"

Shego nearly laughed. "Hah! Do you honestly expect me to believe that? Seriously, reason or not, what you're doing is still evil. Just keep telling yourself otherwise, sport. Actually… I'd say your reasons are probably worse than your actions…"

He had to pop the question. "And how were you able to obtain _that_ kind of information…?"

"With this."

Shego then held up what she was hiding; a peculiar-looking helmet with wires on it, connecting to a computer in a separate room. It was a mind probe helmet, and Val knew it.

"Not as good as the mind control devices you used on Possible and Stoppable in the past…" she mentioned, "and nowhere as good as the mind probe station the doc has at his lair, but it got the job done. So the secret you've been keeping from the princess the whole time? Looks like you're not the only one who knows about it now."

Val grumbled, and not a fan of asking questions. "How did you know I was going to be at the ruins…?"

Shego shot him a disappointed glare. "For someone who seems like the type to kick his tires before he leaves, you should probably check to see if there's gum on your shoes. I slipped a tracker underneath one of your boots when we first fought. And this whole time you had no idea… Yeesh. But it came in handy otherwise… but… what was that place supposed to be anyway?"

"And here I thought you said you mind-probed me…"

Shego shook her head. "I did. But lucky for you, your big plan was all I was able to find out. This thing's pretty old, and with this place being the way it is…"

As his captor trailed off, something about this place struck the captive with a sense of nostalgia. "This place… where are we?" Val interrupted.

"You should know out of all people, Ryan," she answered. "Greenland. PHRND? Strike a chord with ya?"

Val took a moment to think. "Pseudo-Human Research and Development Laboratory 101-5660…"

Shego crossed her arms. "That's right, an abandoned bio-mech lab. You know, if that bonehead Drakken had what it took to take over the world, I was supposed to get Iceland. But with all the good lairs there taken and everywhere else, I could only afford this scrap heap for now, and there's next to nothing here as it is. And since the electric bill hasn't been paid in years and the power generator here about to break down, I could barely get anything out of this. But I got what I needed. You know, you should be glad there's barely enough electricity to support this place, Val. Otherwise you'd be the first in line to see how that bed of yours really works."

"Comforting, I'm sure…" her captive said sarcastically, noticing all the wires attached to the clamps, minus the one on his neck. Looks like it was originally the clamp for his left arm. "But somehow I don't picture you as the torturous kind…"

"Me? Who said I was talking about myself?" Shego asked with a laugh, "It's that purple-eyed girlfriend of yours who wants to have her way with you."

"So she's here as well…"

"Ah, Screw her. That girl's been nothing but a pain since Drakken first met up with her." You could tell Shego hated the girl just talking about her. "But I asked you a question and I want my answer. I know what you're up to and what your reasons are, Ryan. But I was just as clueless as Possible was when it came to those artifacts you stole, and especially when that tracker you wore led me to that small island that popped out of nowhere. That one chamber we first duked it out at was strange enough… but that other place… those ruins… what the heck was that place supposed to be?"

"That would happen to be a Tower," a third voice answered from behind Shego, "An ancient weapon created for the sole purpose of controlling the world and keeping a balance between everything, designed to control the population of every living thing as well as the ecosystem in its time. The final weapon of The Ancients, the first intelligent human beings who came to be after the prehistoric era, the true originators of technology itself. Thousands of years old, yet thousands of years far advanced beyond anything we've considered recent or ground-breaking. The Towers controlled everything, and even housed biological weapons bearing the same technology. They were servants at first in a time of peace, but eventually humans grew corrupt with their greed and power over others, so they were abandoned by the ancients, left to be slaughtered by the technological servants who then craved human blood."

Not to anyone's surprise, it was none other than the girl formally known as Melissa Uso: Lexis.

Shego found it hard to believe any of the words that came out of the girl's mouth. "A Tower? That? For some place called a tower, it was hardly above the ground."

"The Towers were never consistent in their form," Lexis explained. "Some Towers sat at the bottom of the ocean, barely long enough to stick out of the water. Some were on islands and plain fields, sometimes the base being on the ground, and sometimes underground like you experienced. There were even reports of a flying Tower. Different forms, all with the same purpose of controlling life to balance everything, and that included keeping the human race in check. But the humans found a way to destroy them so they could be in control of their lives, an everlasting fight that took centuries. They were successful but were unprepared for the costs. The entire human population was reduced by two-thirds, and the world itself was nearly destroyed. In time, we believed the Towers and all other ancient technology were buried, lost forever in time, never to be seen again. But I've known for some time that it can never truly be destroyed…"

Shego couldn't believe what she was hearing. "This sounds so ridiculous…"

Lexis shot an annoyed look at her so-called comrade. "Why is that?"

"The ancients? Flying towers? Biological weapons? What's next? Armored dragons? This is like some geeky fantasy computer game come to life…"

Val scoffed with a chuckle. "Someone obviously has a constrained view of reality…"

"Apparently so," Lexis said with narrowed eyes, never leaving Shego's, "Illusion and reality really are one and the same, but I don't expect you to believe that, Mrs. Green-Skin-and-Plasma-Flames-For-Hands. V and I on the other hand have seen it first hand. Of course, I was the one who introduced him to the ancient technology in the first place. 32 ancient artifacts; Sixteen that told the history and legacy of the ancients, still being held in a high-level security vault in a US military base, and sixteen more that hold the key to the will of the ancients that have somehow surfaced from the sunken Towers, fighting to be awakened once more. And to think that the original sixteen holding the records were so much more difficult to obtain during both World War II and the Cold War…"

Shego rolled her eyes. "You know, next time I care about a history lesson, I'll let you two lovebirds know. But that's not why I'm here. I brought Ryan back to find out exactly what his plan was, and thanks to a prototype mind probe helmet I stole from the Doc, now I know."

"Was the only reason?" Val asked.

"Nope," Shego simply replied, "I knew you had something good planned out. You're exactly what I'm been looking for in a partner, a sidekick."

"And what makes you think I'd bother to think standing alongside you?"

"Oh, I've got my ways of convincing…" Shego replied with a smile. "You're too stubborn to accept the fact that you're just as evil as those people whose lives you've ruined, so I'm not going to try to make you admit it. But you're stuck to that bed, Val, and I'm not going to free you until you give me exactly what I want. Don't forget how all those bruises on your body got there in the first place. I've got you right where I want you, and without that mechanical arm of yours, you can't escape. I'll leave you hanging there as long as it takes. Stop denying it, Val. You're bad, you always have been, and you always will be. You're not a hero. You're not a savior. You can't save the world, and you certainly can't change it. Why keep fighting the facts?"

He just glared at the two girls with nothing to answer with. Shego looked satisfied.

Lexis apparently didn't. "If things haven't changed in the last three years, I think it's safe to say that he'd rather die than give in."

Val chuckled. "'Die than give in'…That counts for a lot of things…"

"I wouldn't be so sure…" Shego said with a smirk, "Sure, he might be one of the most feared people on the planet with his Hong Kong Movie kung fu, sure he's outsmarted Possible several times in the past, acts like he's been doing this for fifty years and refuses to die, but he's still a teenager. Despite what his plan is, and I can't believe I'm saying this, he's got a heart somewhere deep inside. He's strong on the inside, but as long as he has a heart, that's what's going to cause him to break." Then she looked directly at Val. "You know… I tried to deny going evil too when I first started. I kept telling myself I was still good, but when I finally stopped denying the facts and gave in… makes me wish I had done it sooner."

Val nearly laughed, "And that's what makes you weak, Shego… giving in…"

"Yeah?" she asked, "So is denying the truth to make yourself feel better, not that you know what that is anymore."

Lexis rolled her eyes. "Even if you make him crack, Shego, that doesn't mean he's willing to work with you."

"Give it time…" An ironic statement considering the rogue's own patience. "And don't tell me he works alone, either. He's already worked with you and Possible in the past. Something draws him to evil… and it won't be to fight it for much longer."

Still between the captive and the captor, Lexis turned to her old friend. "The more time you give him allows him to develop an escape plan. And the only way you're really going to break him is making this torture bed worthy of its name and using it to its full capacity."

"Not like we could since there's not enough electricity to power it," Shego dryly replied.

"Who said we need power?" Lexis asked with a menacing smile. "Just because the bed inflicts electrical shocks as a means of torture doesn't mean it's the only way. Observe."

And before Shego could respond, the purple-eyed girl shoved her hand right under Val's chin, choking him as hard as she could even with the clamp on his neck. He tried his best to fight it, trying to turn his head, but the girl had an incredible grip on his neck, forcing Ryan to desperately grab air in the form of weakened screams.

"Don't you see?" Lexis asked as she hardened her grip, "This is the only way to get through to people, Shego, through absolute pain and suffering. If words alone were meaningful, hell, the world wouldn't be the way it is today."

"I've heard recordings of him saying something similar," Shego said. She wasn't exactly enjoying watching Ryan choke and gag for air, but it wasn't enough to make her walk out of the room.

Lexis chuckled. "Of course. He learned it through me."

Finally, when Val's face started turning blue 70 seconds into it, she released him, leaving five fingerprint-shaped bruises on his neck. He was short of losing consciousness, breathing hoarsely for air and unable to speak.

"Looks like he won't be saying anything for a while…" the purple-haired one said, turning around to walk out of the room.

Shego crossed her arms with frustration written all over her face. Now she couldn't get anything out of her prisoner.

Lexis scoffed, stopping right next to Shego. "What? Don't you have anything better to do?"

Shego glared at the smaller girl. "That's a question I should be asking you. It's not like I asked you to get involved in all this."

Lexis smiled. "I was involved in this long before you were. Besides, I'm here for a reason, and I don't intend to leave until I'm done with what I need to do."

"Which is?"

"Nothing you should concern yourself with. But don't bother me and I won't bother you."

"You'd better not, Lexis."

"Likewise, Go."

After Lexis stormed out of the room, Shego soon followed, turning off the lights. Valia was left alone in the darkness, still doing everything he could to get air, coughing and hacking terribly.

And he found himself smiling.

* * *

A leaf flying through the window, slowly and gracefully, landing softly on a sleeping girl's nose… only to get swatted away like a bug. 

Twitching her nose repeatedly, Kim was taken out of her sleep, yawning and stretching as she normally would after a good night's rest. Well, it felt like one, anyway. But the moment her brain woke up, instantly remembering where she was, she quickly looked out the window, seeing that it was still morning but past sunrise. She felt like she slept for hours, and the first thought that came to mind was that Sensei's analysis of Ron had to be complete. Although she really didn't want to look overdramatic to anyone outside, that didn't stop her from anxiously getting herself together, just dying to hear the results from Eiji.

She quickly opened the door by sliding it open, entering the hallway. Since there was nothing but the exit to her right, Kim walked as fast as she could to the left. Forget keeping it cool. Kim had a really good feeling about today.

Unfortunately, when she reached the end of the hall, she didn't find the ninjas or Ron, but was instead treated to the graduation temple of the Yamanuchi ninja school. The place was just enormous, making her feel like a virtual spritekin all over again. It was that unreal and she felt tiny. But this wasn't Everlot and it was very real.

The ceiling looked like it was fifty feet high, supported with what looked like nearly a hundred giant golden pillars. They had been put in the most excellent of care, allowing Kim to see her reflection no differently than the black wooden floor she was standing on (and not having a mirror inside the room she was at, she found herself using the pillar as a mirror, rubbing her eyes and trying to do her hair). She continued to walk around and observe everything around her. Black, gold and red. Not a speck of dust could be found in this place, and everything was shiny. She saw herself in almost everything she looked at. A black wooden floor, golden pillars, torches lit with huge proud flames, and a few giant statues. They were all depicting the warrior who founded the Yamanuchi school, but every statue was made by a different artist. Some tried to make the warrior look as realistic as possible, and some statues went way past the line and looked, well, awesome. So much detail and passion were put into them, definitely the work of a ninja student. Mankey had nothing on these ninjas.

While this place would have made someone freeze in place for hours, Kim had seen temples that resembled these all over the world. But she still froze in place, impressed beyond belief that this place was kept in such perfect condition, and it was impossible (really) to determine the age of the place. It looked like Sensei had gotten it online and received it just yesterday, but with the style of the decorations and how everything looked, it had to have been hundreds if not thousands of years old. And you couldn't even tell.

No wonder Ron wanted to touch anything that looked so rich. Kim was tempted to slide her finger on the floor just to get a feel on what they used to make it so shiny. But the thought of leaving a noticeable fingerprint came to mind, so she didn't.

Taken away by the scenery, it wasn't enough to get her excited. The front of the temple gave her a clear view of the forest, seeing some of the half-constructed buildings. Much to her disappointment, there were no other ninjas or Ron. She was the only one there.

Or so she thought.

"Sleep well?" a sudden voice behind her asked.

Turning around, she found Eiji standing in front of one of the pillars with his arms crossed. She walked right past him without even knowing it.

"Fine, thank you," she said with a proper bow. "But this place… you all actually graduate here? Wish the Middleton gym looked this nice when I graduated…"

He chuckled. "Yes, it is where we hold the graduation ceremony. Is… something wrong?" He noticed Kim was wandering off as if she was looking for something.

But she was just observing everything again. "Sorry. It's just that I've been to all kinds of temples, shrines and cathedrals all around the world and not even those have been kept in such nice conditions… I couldn't help but notice."

Eiji smiled. "We have done our job well, it seems. But that is not why I'm-"

Suddenly, he found the redhead inches away from him with an anxious look on her face.

"…here…"

"How did it go? What's the sitch on Ron?" Kim asked, trying so hard to prevent herself from bouncing up and down.

He started walking away. "Come, I'll explain. Oh, and I brought your shoes."

Eiji led Kim outside the temple to one of the half-built houses, one that had the first floor done, but with no ceiling or walls on the second floor. After climbing a ladder, Kim found Ron laying there peacefully. And for some reason, she couldn't shake the thought that he looked almost like Sleeping Beauty of Snow White, minus the dress thankfully. He was still wearing the battle suit exoskeleton Nev made him when they first met.

The ninja began to explain. "After a long analysis by Sensei involving the extensive use of his powers, he discovered everything the mystical powers had done to him. You mentioned that in your fight against him, he could only be hurt by another with the same cursed powers?"

"Yeah," Kim answered. "At least, until he got struck by lightning, then I was finally able to do him in. So what's the deal on that?"

"It seems that there was some kind of invisible barrier that surrounded his entire body, not even a millimeter away from his skin, that protected him from just about everything from contact with another person to lethal weaponry. Sensei even said that there was a strong possibility he could have been struck by a tank round and wouldn't have been affected at all."

Kim's face almost dropped to the floor with that said. Had she known that she probably wouldn't even have attempted to fight hand-to-hand with him for a second. But the past was the past. Had she been drinking something she would have spit it all out, but she fought to keep her cool in front of the ninja standing before her.

"Yeesh…" she said as she shook her head. "I'm guessing the only reason Rufus was able to hurt him was because the barrier around his own body cancelled out Ron's."

"Correct. And because the barrier was not something created by human hands, it was no wonder that another non-manmade power easily overcame it."

"Lightning's pretty powerful. I still can't believe he survived a direct strike and didn't even lose consciousness. Glad that's done with, though. But now for the big question: What was the deal when Ron got the powers back in his body? First he saves me from Monkey Fist, then he remembers me and holds me, he suddenly drops dead and comes back to life in a coma. And that's after I go into shrines with exit signs, giant skeleton monkeys, a ball of the living undead, and being poisoned by a giant bug. Does anything make sense anymore?"

Eiji put a hand between them. "It's okay, Kim. It's over. But to answer your question, when I asked Sensei, he sounded… rather confused. As you know, Ron is one of many chosen monkey masters, and there are records of the previous chosen ones. There have been times where the chosen one falls into a coma after the full powers enter his or her body. But in Ron's case, he was supposed to have gone into a deep sleep immediately after the powers went back into his body, just to insure that his transformation from a demon to a human went without a hitch. Normally, humans can't survive sudden physical transformations, especially on the inside like you mentioned. So it didn't surprise Sensei that he entered a temporary state of death, but the powers revived his body… almost like rebooting a computer. But…"

"Instead of immediately going into a coma, he spoke to me, remembered me… kissed me…"

"That's what confuses Sensei. Ron was supposed to immediately go into a deep sleep right when the full powers entered his body and quickly turned him back to normal. Sensei couldn't exactly determine how or why he woke up and spoke to you. It shouldn't have happened at all. But he managed to wake up… even if for a short while he did…"

Kim then realized something. "Maybe it was because I was about to be choked to death by Monkey Fist… maybe he realized it and had to save me…" It was actually something Kim failed to mention on the ride.

"To save the life of another… of course…" Eiji said quietly. "The transformation on the inside still wasn't complete, but he had to save you first…"

"So the temporary death was actually normal?" Kim had a hard time believing that. "Mystical powers are weirder than I thought. I hope I don't have any coming into my body anytime soon."

"Careful, you might not have a choice," the ninja warned, "But that's not all. Sensei wanted me to tell you one more thing concerning Ron's condition and how long he might be in this coma."

Kim already had a bad feeling about this. "Oh boy. Okay, spill."

Eiji was twiddling his fingers. "Well, there's good news and there's bad news."

Considering everything poor Kim had gone through, "Let's start with the good news."

Eiji sighed. "The good news is, during the analysis, Ron seemed to be subconsciously active, saying things like someone would in their sleep. Sensei says there's a very good chance he'll wake up from his coma very soon."

"How 'soon' are we talking?"

"Before noon soon… that sounded Chinese, didn't it?"

Kim gasped as her eyes lit up. "You're kidding! Before noon? Ron's going to wake up before noon? Eiji, that's great! THIS ROCKS! I LOVE THIS SCHOOL!"

Suddenly, her Kimposure kicked in, realizing that she was acting like she was completely caffeinated, a so-called excited schoolgirl. Embarrassed, she cleared her throat.

"I mean… uh… that's spankin', Eiji!" she said with a crooked beam on her face. It was way too late to hide it.

The ninja crossed his arms with a smirk on his face. "You don't have to hide your excitement, Kim. The students at the school can't hear us from where we're at, and I don't mind."

"No… I've been a drama queen long enough on this trip," she said. "But I shouldn't get too excited. You said there was bad news too, right? Tell me what that's about."

He looked regretful in his answer. "Yes… The bad news is, it appears that in his subconscious mumblings, he was showing signs of multiple personalities, speaking in different voices and saying things he normally wouldn't. So there's a strong chance that when he does wake up, he won't be Ron Stoppable."

"Weak!" Kim nearly yelled. "So you're just going to leave him here with me?" She then got on her knees near Ron.

"Yes," he answered. "You've been with him almost all your life, so there's a good chance he'll remember who he is by being near you. Sensei said in time he'll return to his former self, but until then…"

"So what do I do if it's not the Ron I know and love?"

Eiji looked nervous, twiddling his fingers to the point where he almost got them tied in a knot. He wasn't sure how to answer that in a delicate manner. The only way he could go about it was being downright blunt.

"Knock him out."

"Knock him out?" Then she figured it out. "Oh, I get it. So if he's not himself, knocking him out will shake his brain a little, and hopefully he'll get his memories and his Ronage back…"

Eiji said something under his breath Kim couldn't hear. "Uh…yeah. Sure."

"I just hope I don't knock him out when he actually is Ron," Kim moped.

"Sensei said that once he's himself, he'll remain that way. But until that happens…"

"Got it." Kim said, but then sighed. "Still, I don't want to knock Ron out when it's really him. And if I do, I hope he forgives me for it. Well, I really wish it didn't have to come to socking him in the head, but looks like I don't have a choice. He'd do the same for me… _I think."_

Eiji almost fell off the building himself with those last two words. "You don't think he'd so the same for you if you were in position he's in?"

Considering that Kim went straight to hell and back for Ron, he couldn't believe it. All this and he wouldn't do the same? Unfortunately, Eiji had seen this several times when he lived in Tokyo: Girls who did everything for their boyfriends and were loyal to the core, yet got absolutely nothing in return. He heard quite a lot about the Possible/ Stoppable connection, and it was heartbreaking to hear this from Kim.

"No…" Kim calmly replied, "What I mean is, I don't think Ron would have it in him to punch me out even if I was acting weird. I know him; even if he did and if I ever found out, he'd hide under his bed for weeks fearing what I'd do to him, not that I'd hurt him if it meant saving me. If we switched roles in this, I know he'd do the same for me. I'm sure of that. But the knocking out part? Not so sure. Punching a girl is so not up his alley, especially me. He'd fear the consequences, plain and simple."

Eiji let out a relieved sigh. "I see what you mean now." He then decided it was time to take his leave. "Well, that's all I came to say. I'll leave you two alone for now, but I'll have one of the ninjas check up on you every now and then. I'm sure Ron be back to his normal self by the end of the day, Kim."

"Thank you so much, Eiji" she said as she grabbed Ron and held him close. "I know he will. I guess I've got to play the waiting game for now. I just hope nothing interferes…"

* * *

Everything was still black when he came to, awakened by the sound of a door sliding open with accompanying footsteps. He didn't bother to open his eyes or show any signs that he was conscious. Val felt like hell as it was, freezing cold without a jacket on, strapped onto a steel-cold bed, and with bruises all over his body. 

Being splashed in the face with water didn't help matters any.

"Hey," the woman's voice spoke, "You still alive back there?"

As Ryan was forced to open his eyes, he saw nothing but a shady green figure.

He coughed as he tried to regain himself. "It's going to take much more than this freezing hell to kill me, Shego… but I must say I'm flattered by your sudden concern."

And she actually did look concerned… somewhat, holding a water bottle in one of her hands. "Figured you could use a drink."

But she didn't give him a choice, anyway. She shoved the bottle in his mouth, forcing him to drink from it. He had little objection to it. Shego pulled it out once the bottle was halfway empty. After coughing more in the freezing cold, Val sat in silence, staring at his captor, who was staring at him no differently than he was.

"Why…?" he asked, hanging his head.

"You really need to ask? You mean a lot more to me alive than dead, Val," Shego dimly replied.

"Are you really that desperate for a new partner?" he asked in an infuriated voice. "What makes you think that I'm going to say yes when you strap me onto a cold steel torture bed?"

"You said it yourself, Ryan: You can't get anything done these days or get through to people without using force," Shego quickly answered. "Besides, it wasn't my idea in the first place. I was just going to tie you up blindfolded and with a rag tied around your mouth. But no, Lexis just _had_ to take control and strap you onto this torture bed, which wasn't even a torture bed in the first place. She did something to it, all right. I tell her I know what I'm doing and she's all high horse that she's a professional and all and takes over. Damn smartass…"

Shego almost lit up one of her hands with her frustration, but stopped when she and both Ryan saw the girl through the window on Val's right side. But with the way the halls were designed, two walls of glass separated the girl from the room. She was walking toward a computer that was active, but the monitor was on its last line. She started typing away at something, searching for some specific files. Facing the computer screen meant facing away from the other two.

Val's eyes were completely locked on her. "Lexis… just who is she really?"

Shego crossed her arms, looking at the girl as well. "Beats me. All I know is that she came around shortly after Possible and the buffoon separated, helping Drakken conceive some sort of big plan involving you and them, but not before he made her train me in mixed martial arts. Been there, done that. After that, she somehow gained his full trust in less than two weeks, to the point where he stopped telling me things, that so-called big plan included."

"So what was she doing around Stoppable?"

"Drakken and I had our sights on him the moment he ran away, using some kind of fly camera he stole from some guy called Gemini. Since no one else knew what happened to him and we had him right under our thumbs the whole time, I had the idea of keeping him separated from Possible at all costs. I realized something long before Drakken's Diablo scheme; Possible can't save the world without him. And because they were in a relationship, that only made things juicier. So the longer they were separated, the longer she'd suffer. I was up for doing everything I could to make sure Possible wouldn't find him, but when I told Drakken what I had planned, he had already sent Lexis to Hong Kong to keep an eye on him."

"I guess he was one step ahead of you."

Shego shook her head. "No. That jezebel went into my room and read my diary of evil schemes. But it didn't matter then. With Lexis standing by Stoppable's side in Hong Kong, I thought it was the perfect opportunity to screw Kimmie over and play with her heart a little bit. So I sent out false leads to where Stoppable was, and she bought it, going all over the world thinking she might find him. But every time she realized he wasn't there, it just killed her ego and self-esteem. She reduced herself to nothing. It was the perfect time to get my revenge on her for leaving this scar on my face. But for some stupid reason, Drakken wouldn't let me. THE one chance to finish her off, and he just wouldn't let me, and all because of that big stupid plan he was working on."

"With that said, I figured you'd rebel and do it anyway." Ryan said as he huffed cold smoke.

"That's the thing, though. I DID. I tried to go after Possible just to get it over with. But no matter when I tried, no matter where I went, that snotty purple-eyed brat somehow got in my way."

"And what was her deal in all of this?" Ryan asked. "What's in it for her?"

Shego shrugged her shoulders. "Drakken never told me and he doesn't have it recorded. And each time I try to ask her, she doesn't tell me and acts like an asshole about it. My guess is that getting involved meant meeting up with you again, since she claims you two have a history together, but I'm noticing you're a bit on and off about that. And I know about Enya Fayce, that mentor of yours who supposedly died. Wish I could tell you she was somehow resurrected or something, but I don't know the truth myself."

"And to think one of the reasons I allowed myself to get locked up like this was because I'd find out some answers about why she's still on this planet," Val mumbled.

Shego shook her head with a smile. "You're crazy… You're like a breath of fresh air, Ryan. Maybe I need more people like you in my life…"

Somehow, Valia got the feeling that it wasn't just about what he was capable of, judging by the woman's tone. But he wasn't the only one who realized this, as Shego turned away. She sighed. She was going to go on a rant, and didn't care if Ryan wanted to hear it or not. He didn't have a choice.

"You know, when I first started out working for Drakken, he made me all kinds of promises about the things we'd do. Take over the world, cause all kinds of destruction and mayhem, make the world our playground, and while doing that, have the time of our lives. Nothing but empty promises, and it's been the same exact thing for so many years. Stupid plan, Possible interferes. Stupid plan, Stoppable interferes. Stupid plan, Drakken thwarts his own plan. But you know what? Every other villain out there was no different! Killigan, Monkey Fist, the Seniors, Dementor; they all had something in common, but they were all defeated by Possible like they were nothing. I was the only one who gave her a hard time, but because I was just a sidekick, Drakken completely held me back. So she beat everyone without breaking a sweat. But you came along and changed that. You turned everything around for her. You and you alone. I thought it was just the whole super villain thing that messed everyone up. I even used Hanteren as a puppet to see how he'd compare, but he was nothing."

"_Sean_ Hanteren?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah. I heard about that whole deal with the black suits going after Possible, and I ran into that idiot long before then when I stole a top-secret laser gun from the Hard Police HQ. He was more interested in getting some digits than stopping me, but he managed to slip his own number on me before I escaped. But thanks to that tracker I slipped on you, I tipped him off about your location just to make things a little more rough on you and Possible. He had no idea who was calling him the whole time, but it turns out he's being prosecuted for betraying his comrades and disobeying a direct order. Looks like he couldn't beat Possible either."

"And I thought women were notorious for never calling back," Val snickered. "What a tool," referring to Hanteren.

Shego wasn't listening. "But everyone who wanted to beat Possible lost so easily, except you, and you've beaten her numerous times. You're a powerhouse, Val, the full package of promises that the Doc never delivered; raw power, plans that work flawlessly, inhuman reflexes, the attitude and even the looks to boot. Kim's beaten everyone she's fought, but you've taken out hordes of people without breaking a sweat or being touched, including her. You're practically unstoppable… at least you were, anyway."

"I admit, I got careless and underestimated you," he claimed.

Shego laughed. "Is that why you think you lost that fight?"

"Quite…" he remarked, "You fight me a few days before by doing nothing but swing your fiery arms around. No technique whatsoever. No wonder Possible made mincemeat out of you. Then you come back with techniques I'm sure Lexis taught you, then you keep me at bay by using your plasma lasers in every way you can imagine. I have to say it was unexpected."

Shego chuckled, looking at one of her hands. "Guess I didn't know my own strength. I really didn't concern myself with how to use my plasma powers to its full potential, just enough to get the job done. The training from Lexis had nothing to do with that. The first time we fought, I didn't use my full potential; I just wanted to see what you were made of. I was hoping Possible would be the first to see the hell I could unleash, but then you came along with that plan of yours, and I couldn't just let you have things your way. But don't you see? You could have actually won and gotten away with it, whereas Drakken always failed. I need someone like you, Val, but not just because of what you can do. You can give me everything I want… and I can give you the same in return," she said with a smile.

Seeing what kind of smile he got, Val shot her a blank stare. "Sorry, but the only woman I want is one interested in a long-term relationship and isn't seven years older than me. I might reconsider when I'm 21."

Shego rolled her eyes with an embarrassed frown on her face. "Not _that_, dummy."

"Then what?"

His captor didn't immediately answer, actually having thoughts run through her head. "Haven't you wanted more out of life?"

"What?"

"That's one of the things that makes you different than everyone else, Val. People live for themselves, just to pursue their own happiness. Some help others but most don't; it's all about them, them, them. Sure, you've got people like Possible helping out people, but that doesn't stop her from living out her own life. You on the other hand don't live for yourself one bit. Everything you do involves slaughtering bad guys or saving girls, but you don't give yourself any room to have fun or enjoy yourself. No wonder you're bitter about everything. Isn't it time you lived for yourself for a change?"

Val sighed, watching his own breath make its way to the ceiling. "You're the only person on the planet to notice such a thing. But look at my eyes."

Shego did so.

Val went on. "You're looking at someone who's wanted in 47 countries. Someone who's killed, hacked off limbs, burned and tortured murderous criminals who get a thrill of slaughtering, abusing and raping innocent people, someone who has no hesitation in doing what needs to be done for the sake of humanity, regardless of the beliefs of others, international law and treaties, or so-called human rights. You're looking into the eyes of someone who's being hunted down on a daily basis by the minute, someone who knows almost every government secret of every country, and every new piece of technology they use. You're looking at a living weapon, Shego. Even if I tried to have fun, chances are I'd be ambushed in a second."

Shego snapped her fingers. "Right… I remember before the Circle of Blood thing in Tokyo, Possible was on you like a hawk."

"And with all kinds of justice organizations following her. I can't live a normal life or do everyday things or what anybody does. It's the fate I'm chained to, but it's one I've chosen and accepted. A weapon like me doesn't know what fun and enjoyment really is, anyway."

"See? That's something I can give you!" Shego cried frantically. "I'm wanted all over the world like you are, but that doesn't mean I don't have my own fun… granted Drakken's not around to annoy me with plans that fail. I can give you this, Val, I can show you what it's really like to have some fun and excitement in your life!"

Shego willing to help someone? Val smelled a catch.

"You're talking about nothing but danger and crime, aren't you?" he asked.

"No," Shego quickly replied.

"You're lying."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not."

"Yes you are."

"No I'm not!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"No you're not!"

"Yes I am!"

"You're not!"

"Dang it! I'm lying and I'm sticking to it!" Shego yelled.

Realizing what just happened, the rogue slapped her forehead so hard it sent her crashing to the ground. She was standing upright a second later.

"Gotcha," Val smirked. "I can't believe that actually worked."

Shego grunted. "I can't believe I actually fell for that… Okay. Fine, I am lying. What do you expect out of a bad girl?"

"A bad girl… heh… Tell me something, Shego… you were once good. Why did you go bad?"

Fortunately for Shego, it was a question that could help her convince him to join her. "The same reasons you did," she answered. "You know how it is saving other people, Val. You can only do it for so long before it gets dull. You don't know who you're saving or why. You don't get any rewards out of it. People stop caring. You get nothing out of it, and that's what it all becomes: Nothing, and that's what my life was becoming. It was getting pointless, and I felt empty the entire time. But evil, that's what made me feel alive; breaking the rules and making my own. The first time I stole something at a bank, I realized that _that_ was the rush I needed in life. The only thing I got out of being good was people telling me I was a good person deep inside, but that's not what life is about, and let's face it, in the real world people step all over everyone they can to be number one. If you're a good person you're only going to get stepped on. You can't play fair in this world. You just gotta get down and dirty."

"Oh brother…" Val intervened. "You think your life has no meaning, so what do you do? Resort to doing what you know in your heart is the wrong thing. Oh, how many times have I heard _this_ one…? And here I thought you were unique and special… It's not the first time I've been proven wrong."

Shego scoffed. "I wouldn't expect a self-righteous moralist SOB like you to understand, Ryan."

"My moral code is based on everything I've seen with my own two eyes, not a black book that everyone's offended by these days. But thanks for noticing," he sarcastically snapped back.

"Whatever. Look, the point is, there was nothing else in life that made me feel alive! I tried to deny it at first, but I couldn't deny the truth: I was born to be evil!"

"Pathetic…" Ryan mused. "And you think we're alike? I'll admit, you're right about a few things. I got no rewards for saving the lives of others. No thrills, awards, recognition or anything of the sort. But I don't do what I do out of selfishness or cheap thrills. I do it because it needs to get done and nobody else will do it, because they let their beliefs or the so-called law get in the way."

"You break the rules just like me," Shego said with a smirk.

"But not the same rules and not for the same reason. I don't break the law for the sake of breaking the law. I break the ones that shouldn't have existed in the first place… the ones that prevent justice from truly being delivered. Ironic, isn't it?"

"And who are you to talk about justice?"

"You think society has a better grip on it?" he snarled.

Shego tapped her foot with crossed arms. "Possible does, but otherwise… you might be right about that… But listen. We can argue all day and night, but that's not why I brought you here. We can work as a team Val, I know we can. You're not as good as you say you are. There's something evil inside you, and soon you'll give into it just like I did. Fight it all you want, but it's not going to last. We're both evil, Val. You could use someone like me, just as much as I could use someone like you."

"I'd rather stay here than go with you."

"Yeesh, you're thick. But you know what?" she asked, "I'll hold you on that and see how long you can last there. Heck, we might even get the electricity back. You sure about that?"

"Don't make me repeat myself."

"Fine…" Shego said as she rolled her eyes, turning around and making her way to the door. "By the way, Val. I'd rather not have you starve on me, but eventually the food and water here is going to run out, and I'd rather look for a new place to hang than go to Smarty Mart again. You'd better think this one out. See ya."

After that, she stormed out of the room, leaving Ryan alone in the darkness again.

"Oh, I'm thinking of something… but it's not about you or your proposals…"

* * *

"Let's see…" 

She had been sitting there thinking carefully, waiting to make the right move, one she wouldn't regret later. Then she moved her piece.

"Your turn, Rufus."

The naked mole rat did the same, pondering carefully about his next move. Suddenly, his face lit up in delight as he found an opening, immediately making his move. Kim almost went bug-eyed from surprise.

"Checkmate!" Rufus yelled.

Kim rubbed her face. "Man! Six months later and I still can't beat you in chess! …You sure that genius streak didn't wear off?" she asked as she put the pieces back in the box.

Rufus could only shrug his shoulders. "I dunno."

"I'm getting worse at this game, I swear," Kim plainly said. "So… what now?"

Rufus pondered in thought, but he didn't think for long.

A weak moaning noise could be heard behind them, no different than the sound of someone waking up. It was none other than Ron, who managed to sit upright. Kim and Rufus immediately went to his aid.

Kim quickly put an arm around his shoulders. "Ron? Is… that you? It's me, Kim."

He didn't immediately answer her, doing the same things anyone else would when waking up. But then he spoke…

"K.. Kim?"

"Me, Ron!" she immediately answered. "Kim Possible, KP, Kimbo? The girl you've known since Pre-K? Save the world? Your girlfriend?"

Ron blinked his eyes repeatedly. "Uh… yeah. You know, you're a cute girl and all, but I think we should wait just a little bit before we jump into a relationship. You said your name was Kim, right?"

Kim gasped. He had amnesia. Or did he?

She grabbed him by the shoulders. "Don't you remember me, Ron? Everything we've gone through together? What about Rufus, your pet?"

Ron lightly pulled her hands off. "Okay, Kim, chill out. I get it, you so totally dig me! But still, shouldn't we get to know each other a bit first? We just met. And Rufus? That's my pet? But he's… naked…"

Kim pulled back in thought. Something had to snap him back into Ron mode. Well, seeing that he looked like Sleeping Beauty or Snow White earlier, maybe a kiss would help? Oh, she liked the idea…

"Come here, you," she said.

Ron got a bad feeling about things just by the look in Kim's eyes, crawling back. "Hey now… uh… shouldn't we take things a little slow?"

And since he was crawling back, Kim was crawling toward him. "Come on, Ron. I'm not going to hurt you."

Rufus covered his eyes. He knew things weren't going to be pretty.

"Shoo, kitty, shoo!" Ron yelled, getting more scared by the second. "Rufus, stop this crazy thing! She's going to eat me!"

Kim almost laughed. "Come on, bad boy! I'm giving you a reminder you're never going to forget!" After that, she dove right at him, but completely missed.

Ron managed to get on his feet, and he did what anyone would do when being stalked by a really cute girl with short red hair and pretty emerald green eyes: Run like heck. (Well, maybe not, but that's what he did anyway.)

Kim quickly got up. "Ron! Get back here right now!"

And the chase ensued. Ron almost immediately ran off the edge, but he wasn't willing to jump off into the forest. He limited himself to the rooftop, screaming for dear life as Kim was hot on his tail. The two were really just running circles around the place, with poor Rufus being stuck in the middle running back and forth not to get stepped on.

"Come on, Ron!" Kim pleaded. "You can't be that afraid of me!"

"As a matter of fact, I am!" he cried. "You're telling me it's normal that a cute girl chases a random guy around just to kiss him?"

"It's not like that!" she yelled. "You're suffering from amnesia! Let me remind you who you-"

Suddenly, he was holding her by her arms.

"…are… Ron?"

But Ron didn't look like he got his memory back. His eyes were half closed, his head was hanging and tilting to the left, and he was almost drooling. Kim didn't know what to say, but she instantly felt uncomfortable.

"Ooooooooohhhhhhhh…" he said in an exaggerated surfer voice. "Nooooooowww I think I remember yaaaaaaa!"

Kim raised one of her eyebrows. "Hooh boy…"

Ron almost yelled in her face. "DOOOOOOOOOOODDDD! I know who you are, now! I am… ssuuuuuuuuuuchh a biiiiig fan…"

Kim took a few steps back, but with Ron still holding her, he took a few steps forward, hardly able to keep his balance.

He went on, "But… where's the pink hair, maaaan? Oh well… your commercials are soooooooo coooooool… I saved money on my car insurance by switching to Geico!" Ron went completely hysterical, laughing his head off.

"Uh, what?" a confused Kim asked. She quickly brushed Ron's hands off of her.

Ron tilted his head the other way. "You know, that one guy you've got the hots for… he's behind it… I saw it on the net, man… Quote, buy, print, maaaaaaaan…"

Kim's head lowered, realizing who Ron was talking about. "Ron, I am NOT Erin Esurance!"

"But you look just like her!"

"No, our eyes are different and I don't have pink hair!"

"WHYYYYYYY NOOOOOOOOT?" he whined. "Shhhh… don't tell my girlfriend… I think Erin's cuter."

Kim crossed her arms with a sour look on her face. "_I'M_ your girlfriend. Thanks for the info!" Enter jealous mode… now.

"Ooooh! Japanese girl!" Ron suddenly yelled. "Nihao!"

"Ron, that's Mandarin, not Japanese," Kim corrected him. But realizing why he said it, she turned around.

Yori was making her way to the rooftop, almost startled by the strange look on Ron's face. "Stoppable-san?"

Suddenly, it looked like Ron was about to lose his balance, but he fought to keep it, running toward the edge of the roof in the process. Both girls thought he was going to fall, but since he ran in Yori's direction, she quickly jumped onto the roof and was prepared to catch him. However, he suddenly lost his balance in the other direction, running to the other side. Kim had to race him to the other end, but just when he was about to fall, he stumbled toward Yori's way again. The girls kept their guard up, but Ron stopped in the center of the floor.

"WEEEEEE!" he yelled, looking at the sky.

Then he dropped flat on his face.

Everyone rushed to make sure he wasn't too hurt, with Kim pulling him from the floor. He was out.

Yori, not having heard Eiji's explanation and waking up minutes ago, was fairly confused. It was strange enough that Ron was out of his coma, but with the way he was acting, it reminded her of something.

"Sensei didn't leave his sake here again, did he?"

Kim shook her head as she held Ron close to her. "Nope… I should have expected something like that."

"Is he going to be okay?" Yori asked.

"I hope so," Kim answered. "This might take a while…"

She had no idea…


	25. 24: Reincarnated Souls

So the prelude to the finale is split again! Darn. Well, hopefully I should have the next one up soon.

More heavy comedic and dark contrasts. There are a couple of moments in the chapter some may find discomforting or offensive. I'd advise you to be careful in jumping to conclusions.

We all set, then?

**Chapter 24: Reincarnated Souls**

* * *

She was slouching in a broken leather chair all alone with her legs crossed, wearing headphones and tapping one of her legs to the music. The room she was in was a mess, looking no different than a post-apocalyptic apartment. Several pieces of broken computer equipment, from monitors to towers and wires were left all over the place, not having been used or seen in years. The glass windows were shattered, everything had dust on it. Even the dust had dust on it. Yet an unseen light lit the room.

The girl was moving back and forth in the rotating chair, wearing little more than a leather coat, a leather tank top and a leather mini-skirt. Black and purple were the main color schemes.

Suddenly, two glass doors slid open, but one got stuck. A green flaming hand destroyed the broken door, and the one who wielded the flame invited herself in.

"Hey! What are you doing with my headphones?" the one in a black and green jumpsuit yelled.

The girl in the chair snickered as she shook the headphones off her head, completely ignoring the question in the process. "I take it your little interrogation didn't go as planned?"

Shego shook her head. "And I thought Possible was a pain… Heck, usually when I need to do some convincing all it takes is a few words, not going into all this life rhetoric stuff. I know he's your apprentice and all, and I didn't expect him to be your typical fragile teen mind like Possible and every other teen soldier in those justice organizations…"

Lexis chuckled as she got out of the chair. "If you want to convince him of something, you actually need to prove it."

"Uh, yeah, I tried?" Shego said sarcastically, "He's like a rock. He can deny being evil all he wants, but he can't do it forever. What's it going to take to break him?"

Lexis started walking past her accomplice, if that's the appropriate term. "I don't know. Let me go ask him."

An inch away from walking into Shego, Lexis stormed out of the small abandoned storage lab and made her way through the windowed hallways, all visible to Shego. Drakken's former sidekick also got a clear view of Val and the room he was being held prisoner in. Lexis was making her way there just as she said, but Shego wouldn't be able to hear them.

Shego had her own thoughts on the purple-haired vixen, and to put it in honest terms, she downright hated her, if not more than she despised Kim. Really, Shego felt replaced, and she downright hated the thought. It happened not once but twice. First came Val, nearly replacing her as Kim's rival, then here's Lexis, who replaced her as a lackey for Drew.

But Lexis didn't have any respect for anyone, treating everyone around her like an idiot, which was surprising to anyone who saw her at least once. She looked completely pure and innocent. Her eyes may have been beautiful, but there was a piercing coldness in them, which became more apparent with each step toward the torture room.

As the girl's footsteps got quieter, and after she turned off her iPod, Shego heard something. Breathing, and it sounded very close by. She quickly grew annoyed of it and had to find the source. It was coming from a pair of headphones hidden inside a broken monitor. In a room with so much broken computer equipment, shattered glass, torn documents and dust, that something actually worked. She put them on just as Lexis walked into the room Val was in.

"You look like hell," the girl said.

And Shego heard it like she was right next to her. She didn't know why these phones connected to that room, but she didn't care. She could listen in.

"Nice to see you see you came out of it in one piece…" Val retorted.

Lexis only smiled, walking slowly toward Val and the hundreds of wires behind him. But instead of standing in front of him, she leaned against a huge wire next to him, crossing her arms behind her neck.

"I see you've somehow managed to avoid giving into the temptations of Ms. Go," the girl said. "What's the matter? You actually don't want to work with beautiful women? Have you taken yourself so seriously that you've forgotten what it's like to be human?"

"I've already made the mistake of being lured in by a woman's looks once," Val mumbled.

"Oh, so it's just paranoia. That's your fear…" Lexis said with a blank expression on her face. "Afraid to fall in love… hard to believe coming from someone like you. But I guess Shego's not your type. Seems obsessed with you in a way, losing sleep just watching that tracking signal of yours. She just couldn't figure out why you were helping Kim Possible, but she knew you had something else planned. But now she knows."

"And so do you."

Lexis nodded. "Of course. I have to say, it didn't come as a surprise to learn that you decided to use an ancient weapon designed to control the world as a means to achieve your goal. But I am surprised that's not what you're using it for. I'm more or less surprised Shego got there just in the nick of time to stop you."

"But why?" Val asked. "It couldn't have just been for some meaningless alliance. She seems intent in distracting me from my own goal, far more concerned with her own."

"Well, of course. Why would she be concerned with what you want with you strapped to that bed?"

"With the way she fell in love with my plan, you'd think she'd allow me to execute it, not keep me held here."

"No, she's not that stupid. It's quite simple, really… Shego wanted to take over the world," Lexis plainly said. "Your plan wouldn't have allowed for that, and she knows it. But instead of removing you from the picture, and she could with those newfound advanced powers of hers, she seems to be more interested in an alliance with you. She might even want something completely different now that you're in her clutches."

Val rolled his eyes. "Her plan isn't any different than it was yesterday. It's just another scheme of hers to take over the world."

"Isn't it always?"

"She just wants to use me to do all the dirty work," Val vented. "She doesn't care about me and could care less about changing my life. Just like everyone else, she wants to use me as a weapon to achieve her goal. Nothing more than that."

"You're obviously not interested in that… and surprisingly not someone like her…" A creepy smile then made its way to the girl's face. "Or… maybe you have a thing for Possible…"

"Hardly…" he growled, "We need more people like her on the planet… at least people willing to do what she does, anyway."

"Not a fan of her lifestyle or tastes, I see," the girl said with a smile. "Too bad. A smart, cute, redhead former cheerleader who saves the world. She's a rare catch."

"Not so rare as a girl born with purple eyes and hair…" But Val could say no more, unable to complete his thoughts. A brief moment passed before anyone said anything.

"What's wrong?" Lexis asked innocently. "Can't figure out how it is that I'm standing here before you?"

"How can you _be_ here?" Val demanded to know. "There's no such thing as resurrection!"

"Oh? And what makes you so sure?"

"Someone would have been successful in doing it, and even if such a thing was kept hidden from the public eye, I'd find out… Just what are you…?"

Lexis walked away from the wall, going back and forth in front of Val. "Whatever you want me to be. Maybe I'm just a figment of a past you thought you escaped from. Maybe I'm the lost wandering soul of someone you avenged. A living ghost caught between heaven and hell."

"I saw that bullet go into your skull the day it happened. I watched you die. I burned your dead body just as your will requested and spread your ashes across the Gulf of Mexico." Val wasn't having much fun revisiting memory lane.

"Did it ever occur to you that the person you saw die wasn't the real me?"

"What do you mean?"

Lexis grabbed Val's chin. "You were one of the most active members in the Pseudo-Human Research and Development Team. Did it ever occur to you that the girl who died before your eyes was perhaps a clone? A fake? Just like those you helped create?"

Val almost sounded shocked, but made a quick comeback. "No… Despite the best efforts to recreate humans in an attempt to create the perfect soldiers, we could never give them the gifts humans possessed, the ones that would make them indistinguishable from them. Emotions, thoughts, memories; the ability to love, hate, think and decide for oneself. You should know; you were the one that told me this."

She released him and turned her back to him. "Maybe I didn't tell you everything. After all, I couldn't do or say anything without our bosses being paranoid to death about what confidential information I passed onto you. It didn't come as a surprise that they sent us to investigate Iraq, after they made arrangements with Iranian terrorists to kill us. I told you too much."

"That can't be possible… Everything you told me before you were shot… such emotion and feeling… that couldn't have been a clone. No one could clone you… not even if they tried."

"Kim Possible's been cloned on a mass scale," Lexis quickly came back with. "Maybe you should ask her how easy it really is."

"Possible…" Val's thoughts then took a turn. "Why are you doing this…? Working with two people bent on world domination? Keeping two teen heroes separated? No, this isn't the kind of work Enya would participate in…"

Without warning, she reached out for Val's neck again, but instead of choking him, she grabbed the metal clamp that covered his neck. Even though it was originally for his left arm, removed and drilled into the bed with 1-inch screws and was more than fifty pounds, the girl yanked if off as if it were nothing. Then she calmly put one of her hands on Val's neck, looking at him in the eyes.

"That's because I'm no longer Enya. Why do you think everyone refers to me as Lexis now? I got tired of being held back and used like a tool by two disgusting and corrupt bureaucrats. I got bored of saving people not worth saving. I got sick of every living being on this planet perverting the truth and rewriting what's right and wrong in the world, all only to their own tastes, desires and agendas. It was pointless, and I stopped caring."

"You've changed…" something Valia said with absolute disgust in his voice, sounding bitter and depressed at the same time.

"Oh, what's wrong? Having a hard time accepting it? In case you forgot, V, I'm officially dead."

"And you're dead to me, too."

"Aw…" she said with puppy dog eyes, "Three years ago that would have meant so much. It might have been enough to bring me to tears. But really, I don't care anymore. Change is a part of life. You have to accept me for who I am now."

But before he could reply, Lexis wrapped both her arms around his head, holding him as close as she could.

"Really…" she said quietly and softly, "One of the reasons I got involved with Drakken was because I knew I'd see you again. It's been nearly four years, V… You've become more than just my pupil… You're…"

She moved her face closer to his, closing the gap between them. It looked as if she was going to touch Val's lips with her own, but he turned away. She only pulled back a little, looking disappointed. Val then shot her an extremely cold glare, and it was enough to make her let go and step back. But instead of looking scared, she merely smiled at him.

"I wanted to start all over and leave my former life behind," she continued, "Like you, I wanted to see what the big deal behind Team Possible was, and establishing an alliance with Dr. Drakken allowed that."

"Is that the only person you're working with? He'd be a fool to trust the likes of you so easily."

Lexis chuckled before answering. "Maybe. Maybe not. And he would. But to gain his trust, I had to abide by his orders in keeping the two separated as long as I could, even if it meant destroying Stoppable's trust in his ex and turn him against her by means of words or even seduction. But he did that himself. It was disappointing to see how weak Possible became from the whole ordeal, hearing that she could do anything and was practically unstoppable. But I suppose she's still human, after all."

"So that's all he wanted? Absolute separation?"

"Oh no, no…" she said with an hard-pressed smile, "He has something else planned, but like Go, he hasn't told me a single detail about it. I wish I could give him all the credit for orchestrating this entire ordeal… but I had my share in this too. But don't bother asking what my own agenda in all of this is, V. That's all I'm going to tell you for now. You'll have to find out the rest of the truth yourself some other time, love."

Val was vexed, having a hard time looking at the girl in front of him. Somewhat detecting his anxiety, she calmly walked closer to him.

"You can escape from here anytime you want, you know."

But he refused to trust her. "I doubt you're going to let me waltz past you…"

"True. I can't let you go unless Shego says so. It was fun strapping you onto that bed… I wouldn't mind doing it again. But if you can manage to get out of this building without alerting me… maybe I'll let you go… and maybe I'll tell you everything you want to know…" she said with a smile, then proceeded to blow a kiss at him. "Ciao, love."

Unfortunately for Val, when it came to a busty girl wearing a skin-tight leather mini-skirt, his eyes were locked in a certain place. It also didn't help that Lexis purposely shook her hips as she walked out.

But like Ryan, Shego was hoping she could get some answers about the girl who played watchdog on the two, making her feel like a prisoner herself. Instead, she found herself more confused than before.

* * *

This had to be one of the most bizarre days in the life of Kim Possible. It was bad enough that Eiji forgot to mention that Ron might awaken with amnesia, but the madness continued.

Just as Ron fainted on the ground after acting like a slobbering drunk, he regained consciousness less than a minute later. He was breathing heavily, acting like he lacked water in his body. After finding Kim, he went on a bizarre rant about how he had been in the desert for 44 days and 55 nights. Kim tried to make sense of what her BF just said, but wasn't able to think for long. Ron was looking at her in a peculiar manner, no different than a madman.

"So… so hungry…" he mumbled.

Kim took a few steps back, as did Rufus. But the way Ron was looking at both, they came to a realization.

"Come here!" Ron yelled. "I'm gonna fry you in Kentucky!"

They were both mistaken for pieces of chicken. Ron dove right at Kim, somehow with a fork and knife at hand. Kim had no choice but to stay as far away from him as he could, but Ron was like a slobbering canine. Another chase broke out, and Kim had to run for it, because Ron was really going to try to eat her.

"Waka waka waka waka waka waka waka!" Ron kept yelling, swinging the food utensils back and forth.

Suddenly, someone else arrived. "I brought food!"

It was Yori, who had gone back to the school grounds earlier to receive the explanation on Ron's condition, and to bring lunch. As she climbed the ladder to the roof, she was surprised to see Ron chasing after Kim with a fork and knife, but once Ron laid his eyes on the sushi, he ran straight for the ninja girl. Out of all the things Yori was trained to expect, having Ron Stoppable lunge at you with a fork and knife at hand wasn't among them. She threw the plate upward in total reflex, and Ron caught it with his teeth no different than a dog with a Frisbee. He sucked down the sushi no different than a rabid animal, but by the time Yori got herself onto the roof, Ron was sleeping quietly and peacefully like a baby. He even had a thumb in his mouth.

"This is… bizarre…" was all Yori could say to Kim.

"And I thought mind control was bad…" Kim said.

A third voice entered the conversation. "He really does act like he's had a little too much to drink so early."

Both girls turned around to find Eiji behind them.

"You're the second person to suggest that…" Kim said with crossed arms.

"I'm sorry," Yori apologized. "When I went to ask him about Stoppable-san's condition, I mentioned that with the way he was acting, Sensei might have accidentally left a bottle of sake here again."

"So what's the story behind that?" Kim asked.

Yori looked at Eiji for him to explain, who himself looked embarrassed beyond belief. But he sucked it up and explained.

"After each graduation ceremony, the school throws a festive celebration. Sometimes Sensei and some of the older graduates celebrate with some sake, and that's the ONLY time they can. I wasn't among those who shared a drink with Sensei that one time, but I was among the students who volunteered to clean the place up the next morning. But I stumbled across a bottle that still had something in it, and I was thirsty. I wasn't aware of what was inside, and… well…" He couldn't finish.

"Apparently," Yori continued, "we discovered that Eiji-san was already a master of drunken kung fu. Who knew?"

He didn't agree. "I never practiced the art before… I wouldn't say I'm a master… or that it was really drunken kung fu."

"That was _definitely_ advanced drunken kung fu," Yori quickly replied, then faced Kim again. "Sensei doesn't teach the art, and drinking is strictly forbidden outside of celebration ceremonies and to younger students. While he knew it was an honest mistake, he too recognized it as drunken kung fu. Because of that, he allowed many of the students to watch as Eiji… well, put on a show. Sensei wouldn't forbid them from observing as many martial arts styles as they could. He doesn't just limit us to learn Ninjitsu, you know. And yet Eiji-san refuses to practice it because of how embarrassed he was."

"You would be embarrassed yourself if you woke up later that day hanging upside down in a tree without your shirt on, Yori-chan," Eiji quickly replied, "And find out someone took a picture…"

"But it reminded me so much of Stoppable-san…" Yori said with a squirmy look on her face.

"AHA! So it was YOU!" he shouted.

Yori's face turned red. She just revealed a secret she held longer than the time Kim and Ron have been dating. Eiji saw the picture in her room one time, which should have made it dead obvious who took it, and next to a few pictures of Ron she secretly took no less. For the last couple of years he sought out who could have done it, never suspecting his sweet and innocent Yori-chan.

"Yori! You dishonor us with your sneaky camera and photography skills!" He wasn't angry, though. He said it in a manner that was obviously intended to be a joke.

However, Yori didn't take it as that.

"D… Dishonor?"

"Uh oh…" Kim said, turning around. She couldn't watch. Rufus covered his eyes.

Suddenly, Eiji was blasted with water as if someone fired a fire hose at him. Nope. Yori was crying.

"No!" she cried, "Not again! I can't be a dishonor to anyone ever again!"

After that, she immediately ran off, inadvertently running off the roof, but caught herself and landed on her feet. She ran into the forest right after.

Eiji's face pretty much dropped. "Yori-chan! Wait! I didn't mean it like that! I…" then he growled at himself. "Baka! I'm so stupid!"

Then he grabbed several pieces of wooden boards. He picked out one and broke it with his head.

"Baka!"

And in front of Kim, he was breaking the other boards with his head as a means of self-inflicted pain (or weenie seppuku, if there's such a thing). Then he stopped, realizing something.

"Wait a minute! What am I doing? I do this everyday for training! Yori! Wait! You didn't dishonor anyone! Come back!"

And he leapt off the rooftop in pursuit of her, nearly tripping over his long red scarf.

Kim looked somewhat startled. "I know she's more sensitive than I am… but that was just… weird…"

* * *

Five minutes pass, with Kim twiddling her fingers and sipping green tea as she waited for Ron to regain consciousness, hoping it would be the real him.

Suddenly and without warning, she found Ron's hands on her shoulders with a frantic look on his face.

"Kimmy! Something is terribly wrong!" he shouted.

"I'm… listening?"

"Great Scott!" Ron yelled. "This might even be worse than I imagined!"

Kim noticed something else wasn't right. "Ron… where did you get a lab coat and protective goggles?"

"That's not important right now! Kim, it's our children! And our children's children!"

"Our… _children?_" That was something she didn't know how to respond to, but she blushed.

"Our daughter recently developed a third leg, our son is married to a garbage disposal, our grandson is a clone of a clown, I'm late for jury duty and you just lost your job at the Eggman Grill!"

"The eggman WHAT?"

"Come!" Ron yelled. "We have to fix this! We must go BACK… to the FUTURE!"

Kim moved his arms off. "Okay, Doc Brown. Simmer down."

"That's not even the beginning of it!" Ron cried. "Five years from now, Bonnie will turn into a vampire and declare herself the queen of Transylvania!"

"That's… really not that surprising…" Shocking information to Kim this was not.

Ron was still too excited. "But it was after she used the exact same body wash and shampoo that you use!"

Kim didn't immediately answer to that one. "… Five years, you said?"

"I could go on forever!" Ron yelled. "R2D2 and C3PO turn into Sith Lords in Episode X! The Lord of the Rings was coincidentally based on a true story, but Frodo jumped ship and Arwen died after getting stomped on by a giant Monty Python foot! Bugs Bunny was finally assassinated by Elmer Fudd! Commodore Puddles is married to Ubu the Dog! Sit Ubu, sit! Good dog! The Grim Reaper was run over by a piece of chicken! Captain N, the Fonz, and the Terminator have their own religion! Shego resurrected The View and Desperate Housewives, and is now the head writer on Agony County!"

Kim became bug-eyed with the last one. "_Shego?_ Oh, now that's just beyond wrongsick sickwrong!"

"Come!" Ron yelled. "We must get to the DeLorean and fix the future before it's too late! Where's Einstein?"

Rufus looked confused. He didn't know if Ron was looking for him or a dog.

Kim sighed. "Good night, Ron." And after smacking him upside the back of his head, he was out.

Yori arrived soon after, looking remarkably fine from earlier, bringing a well-cooked meal for Kim and Rufus, hoping she wouldn't be ambushed by a rabid Ron. But she posed the same question when looking at his unconscious body.

"Where did Stoppable-san find a lab coat and protective goggles?"

Kim had no answer for that.

* * *

If there was one thing about this abandoned lair that Shego liked so much more than Drakken's… well, she was still looking. She was so bored, sitting in a chair staring at the broken light above her. The haze in this lab was creepy, and it was the only thing she could really see around here, but nothing worked.

Suddenly, she felt a cold wind rush right past her. Looking to her side, she saw Lexis walking away with a set of keys.

"Where do you think you're going?" Shego asked.

Lexis was quick to turn around. "I'm heading out to take care of something." But the girl was still wearing nothing than a leather tank top, a mini skirt, and was now donning her leather trenchcoat again.

"You're going out there like that? You might wanna put a little more than that on," Shego suggested.

"Thanks but no thanks," Lexis quickly replied. And that was all she said before walking out of the small room, disappearing into the cold mist of the lab soon after.

"And stay out…" Shego quietly snarled, taking off one of her gloves to do her nails.

Lexis smiled the whole way as she strutted to the main door of the lair, then put the keys in.

"Careful what you wish for, Go…"

* * *

Oh, there were so many moments where Kim felt really uncomfortable on this journey. Nearly drowning in the first shrine. The giant monkey skeleton and all the undead in the second one. The upside-down castle and the giant poison bugs in the third. Then there was Sean and the possessed Ron.

But none of that compared to this. She was the most uncomfortable person on the planet right now, and for good reason.

Ron woke up a few minutes after being knocked out just like before, and the madness seemed to have no end. Earlier, he took on the personas of "The Weather Ron", a paparazzi reporter minus the camera named "Ronarazzi", the plumber "Super Ronio", and a rather primitive "CaveRon", who almost struck Kim down with a huge wooden plank.

But now, Kim didn't know if it was Ron or not.

He had woken up, but he was completely silent with an innocent charm in his eyes, examining Kim from head to toe. At first, he appeared to be studying her. The way she wore her clothes, the way that short hair of hers looked like it had but cut by a sword, the way her eyes shined. All without a word, he was being extremely observant. Perhaps _too_ observant.

Now, the two had been sitting across from each other. Kim had a really uncomfortable look on her face, but Ron was sitting down Indian style with his eyes locked on a specific portion of Kim's body.

Her chest.

But Ron had nothing on his face that signaled any perversity in his thoughts. He was analyzing them, studying them, and was puzzled by them. Something about them fascinated him with curiosity, all with an expressionless face. Kim couldn't tell what it was, but even trying to move from side to side, Ron's eyes were locked on them. And it wasn't like Kim was wearing anything revealing, just her natural military shirt and cargo pants she had worn for years.

Finally, after staring at his girlfriend's assets for over twelve minutes, he finally spoke.

"They're… pointy…"

Kim had no idea how to respond to that, but the baffled and affronted frown on her face said it all. Ron's expression didn't change, not having noticed at all. Rufus hid under an unused board. He knew this was going to get ugly.

But Ron just continued to stare at and observe Kim's chest like a curious child. If anything, the upside was that no one else was around to see this. Unfortunately, that was the only upside Kim could think of. She tried hiding them by crossing her arms, but Ron's eyes didn't budge. She tried leaning to the sides, but Ron's eyes just followed them. But Kim would soon find out that his curiosity knew no bounds.

Just then, she felt a firm grip. Ron's hands were on both of her breasts. But grabbing them wasn't the only thing he did...

"HONK HONK!" he yelled.

That very instant, blood was sent flying higher than the tallest trees in the forest, accompanied by a thunderous thwack that shook the leaves off anything within a mile radius.

Yori, hearing this and actually feeling it, instantly rushed toward where the two were, running up the ladder to the rooftop.

"What happened?"

The former student couldn't see anything, though. She could see that Ron was knocked unconscious once again, not seeing the blood trailing from his nose. Kim on the other hand was kneeling and had her back facing Yori, which prevented her from seeing how red Kim's face was. Possible sounded like she was sulking from embarrassment.

"I DON'T KNOW WHY THEY'RE POINTY!" Kim yelled in a tone that just screamed mortification, unaware of Yori's presence. "My breasts are round just like everybody else's! But no matter what I put on, they always end up looking… 'pointy'! I don't know why they do that! Do you have any idea how long I've been wondering why? I can't figure it out!"

Yori decided to creep quietly down the ladder and pretend like none of this ever happened, as Kim failed to notice her. She didn't know if she was seeing things, but she could have sworn she saw a small rain cloud hovering over Kim's head, and it was pouring.

Rufus, witnessing and hearing it all, fainted.

* * *

One must wonder what goes through the mind of a prisoner trapped in solitary confinement, one where he is strapped in place to a bed parallel to the wall. A bed where the metal surface is freezing ice cold. In a room null of life, an abandoned lab frozen in dust. Seconds turn to minutes, and minutes into hours.

For Valia: Nothing. His mind was completely void of any thought. Having even a thought in mind could prove dangerous on the psychological level.

Meanwhile, Shego found herself so bored she was actually frustrated. Not just at Lexis, but Ryan as well.

Her plan wasn't any different than it was before, just the two mentioned. Shego still wanted to take over the world, to succeed where her former boss failed. Unfortunately for her, quitting didn't give her the freedom she wanted, not with Lexis keeping close ground and watching her every move. Even now, Shego had the paranoid feeling that the girl was somehow still watching her. In a way, it only made the deadly rogue more infuriated at her former boss. Just when she quits to do what she wants with Possible and Ryan, without having to abide by Drakken's orders, he has his mysterious colleague keep her from doing anything, although Lexis did allow her and Ryan to have their fight. For the most part.

Although she told herself she really didn't care about long brutal fights about the actual fight and not the result, she was starting to think otherwise, now actually having experienced it. But surprisingly, Shego wasn't acting cocky or arrogant about the whole thing. She was disappointed, cheated out of beating Ryan, to have the title of beating him all by herself without anyone's help. With her powers, she wanted to prove herself to be worse than him. But no, Lexis interfered. And she couldn't shake the feeling that Drakken sent the girl to keep an eye on her, to keep her on his leash.

She didn't know what was more irritating. The fact that it would be impossible to use Ryan as her tool, or that she still knew nothing of the purple-haired one. She didn't expect for Val to have the usual fragile teen mind, to instead be a lot more secure than Kim and her boyfriend. But just with the way he ridiculed her, she knew it'd be a challenge to convince him to work with her, one she didn't have the time and patience for. But really, it wasn't about partnership. It was about having him in her control. It wasn't going to happen.

Even though she hadn't seen the girl in action, Shego had no thoughts of even trying to use Lexis instead. The girl had her own agenda in all of this, perhaps to an extent that Shego didn't know of. But Val… even though she loved the fact that he almost got away with his final plan, she couldn't allow it. Not because she had no interest in what he wanted, but also because it would interfere with what she wanted.

No matter their techniques, methods, and how notoriously known both were for how destructive they were, he wouldn't work as a partner. He could treat her like dirt and get away with it. Sure, she had her powers to keep him at bay, but it wouldn't be long before he'd find a way around it, and he'd probably be bent on doing so. After all, her own powers could still be used against her.

Shego wanted to think otherwise, but it wasn't going to happen, not even by excessive force. But she grew tired of thinking about this. She was bored as it was already, so she got out of the leather chair she was sitting on, which completely collapsed the moment she got onto her feet. Had the dust not been frozen to the floor, it would have flown everywhere. Growing more frustrated, Shego went off to the so-called torture room.

She was actually somewhat startled when she got there. Valia showed no signs of movement or life. Ice cold and wide-open eyes just glared at her, solid as stone, refusing to move or blink. The expression on his face was no different, showing no sign of thought. But he was still alive, as indicated from the smoke of ice coming from his nostrils. Otherwise he looked dead.

As scary as it was to her, Shego knew it was a ploy to startle her. But she put on a tough face.

"Drop it, Ryan. It's not working."

Suddenly, he came back to life like a puppet, showing sudden ragged movements all over his body. He looked a bit dazed and confused at first, but it quickly wore off.

"I must've I dozed off back there…" he said with a smile, almost chuckling with a smile that almost instantly put fear in his captor.

Shego became somewhat perplexed. "What are you smiling about?"

He chuckled even more. "Oh… nothing really…" he said in a suspiciously calm tone. A total lie no matter what angle you took it from.

That instant, Shego put a plasma flame up to his neck, right where the metal clamp used to be. "You're lying! Tell me what you're so upbeat about!"

But that smile of his wouldn't fade. He lowered his head, glaring at Shego with no fear in his eyes. "Why? I'll tell you. Because I'm ready to escape this frozen hell."

The green flame suddenly diminished. And for some reason, Shego had a funny look on her face, which soon erupted into hard laughter, long and carefree. It took her a while to stop, which was signaled by a relieved sigh. She had to grab the wall for leverage.

"Oh… heheheh… oh man…" She tried to stop. "Oh, I gotta hand it to ya, Val… you… you almost had me going there… I thought you were serious…"

One look at his face and you could tell he was, but Shego refused to see it.

"Really?" he asked. "What makes you think otherwise?"

After she was done, Shego regained her cool and walked up to him. There was no laughter in her tone as she explained.

"You see these clamps that are strapping you to this bed? They weigh over two hundred pounds each, and you're not exactly a bodybuilder."

Val chuckled. "Oh, Shego… you really have no idea, do you?"

She crossed her arms with an irritated look on her face. "First of all, I completely strapped you of your equipment. I wasn't going to do what Dr. D forgot to do with Possible. There's nothing on you, and Lexis made _extra_ sure of that. Second, you don't have a small rodent companion to get you out of this bind. Third…" She then walked back to the door, grabbing his detached mechanical arm. "I don't think you're going anywhere without this…"

Suddenly, Val's head dropped and started to shake, muttering a bunch of stuff Shego couldn't hear or understand. As his head rose back up, Shego could see a huge smile on his face, and it was clear that he was chuckling, which was getting louder and louder, quickly becoming hysterical laughter. Hard and carefree, it was a true villain laugh if Shego ever heard one. He sounded completely insane, with eyes that were totally maniacal to match. And he wouldn't stop.

The fact that she had no idea what he was laughing at nearly made her petrified of him. She fought not to show that fear, but she was trembling. It wasn't long before she couldn't take it anymore.

"KNOCK IT OFF!" she screamed. If he wouldn't stop right now, she was going to beat him senseless with his own arm.

But to her surprise, Val stopped the sudden laughter, dropping his head to the side, letting out a few sickening neck pops that could be heard throughout the lab. The sound was anything but pleasant. It took him a while to stop chuckling, but the whole time he stared at Shego with the strangest smile she had ever seen in her life. Then, he posed a question for her.

"Tell me… How familiar are you with wireless technology?"

Shego's heart suddenly skipped a beat.

"Oh SHI-"

It was far too late. By the time she tried to throw the arm as far away as she could, it leapt out of her grip and flew at her neck. Before she knew it, she couldn't breathe. She found herself screaming desperately for air, coughing hoarsely instead. Her face quickly turned a different shade of green than usual, and quickly succumbed to her knees.

"Ge…ckl….agah…GA… GAA**ARR**k…!"

But Ryan had a smug smile all over his face, one that refused to cede. "Oh, now Shego… did you really think it was going to be that easy to keep me captured? I have to say, I'm quite disappointed…"

"Ca…**awk!"** she tried to scream.

Shego could easily be mistaken for Drakken's wife now with the color of her face. She tried as hard as she could to pull off the damn hand that was mercilessly choking her, but no matter how hard she pulled on the arm, she couldn't shake its grip. Its weight alone had her on her knees.

Val only shook his head. "And I thought you claimed to have done your research on me…" he said in a casual tone, "but then again, only so few truly understand the capabilities of biomechanical technology… It's not just science fiction, you know… or at least, I thought you knew."

"**Le**…cawl… le… **ee**..EE… cuea.. G…G**uuu**!" the now purple-faced Shego tried to scream.

Val looked overly calm. "What's that? Speak up. I can't hear you."

Shego tried to plead for him to let her go, but it was clear that he had no interest in releasing her or loosening his grip on her. Not one bit. There was no mercy in his eyes. He just watched calmly as Shego suffered, who was now convinced that she was going to die right here and now.

She quickly tried to blast the arm off with her plasma arsenal. Beams, flames, anything she could imagine. But the suffocation didn't allow her to effectively focus any of her shots, which made her fire off in random directions instead. Most destroyed the windows and everything outside the room, sending glass, ice, tiles and electric sparks everywhere. Not one blast came anywhere close to Ryan, who still had a casual look on his face. Shego quickly tried to directly attack the arm with her plasma energy, but the metal seemed completely immune to it. She even tried melting it in half.

But it wasn't working. Nothing was.

By this time she had crawled across the room to where Val was, and close enough to grab him and stun him with the plasma. But she lacked the strength to maintain a grip on him, or fire at him for that matter. She soon lost the strength to actually set her hands ablaze. From this realization, tears started coming out of her eyes.

At this rate, if she had given up and collapsed, it wasn't because she lost consciousness.

But Ryan didn't seem to care, and it almost took Shego by pure shock. She and Drakken had their sadistic moments, but how on earth could Ryan look at her with such a calm face? Was the bastard actually human? He just shook his head at her in pity.

Suddenly, it felt as if the grip of the hand had loosened.

Sure enough, Val finally released her, leaving her coughing horrendously for air, but she was still far too weak to move. Taking advantage of the situation, Val's arm managed to move behind the bed, pressing a series of buttons behind it. A few seconds later, the metal clamps freed him, and he nearly collapsed on Shego as he landed on his feet. It wasn't long before his metal arm came to him and reattached itself to the rest of his body. He simply walked past Shego, whose face hadn't returned to its normal color.

Just as he was about to grab his trenchcoat, he heard something.

"You… you little…!" but Shego was interrupted by another loud cough.

Val stopped dead in his tracks, somewhat impressed. "What's the matter, dear Shego? Surely this can't be the first time you've felt this kind of pain in your life…"

Shego only coughed louder. It was easy to mistake that she was going to throw up. "W… why… what the hell…!" she tried to yell.

After he put his trenchcoat back on, he answered. "You don't seem to be aware why this is happening, Shego," he said with an unimpressed look on his face. "You see, when people gain my respect, I treat them with the same respect in return. But when people think it's funny to get in the way of whatever I'm doing, especially for a reason that lacks any kind of logic or meaning, you had damn better hope I let you escape with your life. If you aren't praying then you certainly as hell should be."

The tears of Shego's fear soon turned into tears of pure and absolute rage.

"**YOU SON OF A-!"**

Just when she managed to leap in the air, and the very moment her hands lit up, she had blood flying out of her mouth. One of the problems Shego had when attacking with her arms was that she left herself wide open.

In this case, she spread her arms out just as her hands were about to ignite. It gave Val the perfect opportunity to grab one of them, pull her in as hard as he could, almost pulling her arm out of its socket, and thrust his elbow into her abs as hard as he could. Unlike before, this one blow was so powerful that the intense pain Shego felt nearly numbed her entire body. Blood was sent flying out of her mouth, and the impact sent her flying right into the torture bed. It was just enough to knock her out… sort of. She was on the last line of consciousness. But she couldn't move. The impact of hitting the bed had the clamps close on her, trapping her with the exception of her left arm. But she was too weak to do or attempt anything.

Val's expression was solid the entire time, with no sign of joy or sorrow in it. He was going to just leave Shego there, about to head out the door again.

"You… evil… rotten…" a voice behind him spoke, followed by a loud spitting of blood. "I swear… when I… when I get out… you… are _so_ dead…! Now I… I know… you… you really are evil…!"

Val turned around yet again, but something she said irritated him beyond belief. It was something that Shego kept saying over and over, and he finally snapped.

"There you go using that word again!" he yelled. "Evil! This is _evil!_ That is _evil!_ Everything that concerns you, you think is _evil!_ You use the damn word so much, and you have no idea what it truly means at all! I'm going to tell you this right now, Shego… **YOU. ARE. _NOT. EVIL!_** You think I am? Take it from me, you haven't seen anything yet! I am nothing compared to the likes of those whose lives I've made worse than a slow and painful death!"

Shego fought to move, but on the verge of consciousness, couldn't. "When… when I'm done… with you… you'll see… you'll… know…"

This was the last straw. Frustrated beyond belief, Valia removed his trenchcoat and dropped it on the floor. He started walking back to the torture bed, slowly and with his right arm behind his back.

Every step sent a chill up Shego's spine and had her trembling. "What… what are you doing…?"

He stopped in the middle of the room, but had his left arm extended. He wasn't pointing at her, but his hand was extended in a similar way.

"I'm going to take you to school… and show you something I hope you _never_ forget…" he answered slowly and quietly.

Suddenly, the mechanical arm opened up, releasing a sudden burst of electrical sparks and charges. It was enough to turn the room dark, but it looked like the arm had no less than a million volts in it. Everything the electrical charges hit were burnt or destroyed on impact.

Shego found herself hyperventilating. She tried to move her available arm, but she just couldn't. "Please… STOP! I.. I…" then she said something no one ever thought they'd hear her say. "I'm sorry! I won't do it again!"

But Val shook his head, which was hardly visible with the cracking of the bolts. "You really think you know what evil is… don't you?"

Shego's heart raced as he stepped closer and closer. This wasn't an act of intimidation. This wasn't a bluff. Whatever he was going to do, he was going to do it. And she couldn't move. She had never been helpless in her life until now.

"You know nothing of pure and absolute evil!" he yelled at her. "I have seen evil in its purest form… You are nothing…! I hope you learn from what you're about to experience, Shego! This is what happens when you get in my WAY!"

The bolts of electricity only got bigger, brighter, and louder. She could only see a sadistic look in Ryan's eyes as he got closer, and it was a look that invited her straight into the depths of hell itself. It was then that he revealed what he was going to do to her, in the simplest way possible.

"_**I'M GOING TO SHOW YOU WHAT REAL EVIL IS!"**_

She couldn't try to hide her fear anymore. Shego screamed as loud as she could, hoping to death that someone could hear her.

But her cry for help would fall only on deaf ears.

* * *

There was something completely refreshing about breathing in the warm air near the Yamanouchi School, especially when waking up from what felt like a near-eternal slumber.

And what do you do when you wake up? What else? Go right back to sleep! Or try, anyway. He didn't know where he was, or what was going on, but he really didn't care. The man needed his beauty sleep. Anything else could come later.

All he had to do was lay perfectly still and keep his eyes closed, just as he had been doing the whole time. No one would notice if he was awake or not. As long as anyone around thought he was sleeping, they had to leave him alone, right? Now if it was an emergency, then he'd have Kim shake him up a bit… though that wouldn't stop him from trying to get extra shuteye.

Suddenly came the moment of truth. He heard someone, and they were very close by. Just keep quiet, shut up, don't move, and don't open your eyes. That was the plan. They'd leave soon enough, and he'd be allowed to go back to sleep.

His plan was flawless. Well, it would have been, except for one thing.

It felt like he had been sleeping for well over six months. But in those six months, something was missing. Something big. Something he couldn't be Ron Stoppable without. He couldn't quite put his finger on it, but he yearned for it. It was like half of him was missing or something.

But then he felt it. A gentle touch of a lady's hand on his arm. That's what it was – the girl who had been with you almost your whole life. It was the feeling of not seeing her in ages, and the emptiness of not having her around. Not being able to look into her eyes. Not being able to turn her day upside down and put a smile on her face. Not being able to hold her, not being able to hug her or be hugged by her. Not able to brush his fingers through her flippy hair. Not able to hang out with her and enjoy doing things with her. Not being able to save the world with her. Not being with her.

Her touch was gentle, enough to warm his blood with an intense feeling.

Forget the mad and insane craving for Bueno Nacho. He missed her more than anything in the world.

But he wanted to make this moment right. It was the opportune moment to sweep her off her feet, to take her breath away, and in return get some Kim lovin'. He was going to wait until she got closer, and surprise her like he'd never done before.

But he just couldn't take it anymore. Still with his eyes closed, he suddenly sat up and grabbed her. Completely taking her by surprise, he shoved his lips into hers, not having tasted them in so, so long. She seemed almost reluctant at first, probably because of the sudden surprise, but it wasn't long before she let him do all the work. He wrapped his arms around her, kissing her as hard and passionately as he could, trying to make up for what felt like six months of absence.

So far so good.

He heard the sound of something behind him hit the floor, but he ignored it. Even if someone else was watching, he was too into the moment to let the girl he loved go. That said, he also refused to open his eyes, just being so indulged by the kiss. He didn't want the moment to end. And with the way she was kissing him, she didn't, either. But he could tell that she was growing weak, and if memory served him, this meant it was the end.

With his eyes still closed, he departed lips. A loud thud was soon heard after, and he had a smug look on his face just by hearing it. The good night kiss.

"Yes, ma'am…!" he said with a huge smile on his face, "You are welcome!"

Just then, he felt two fingers jab into his left shoulder, and it hurt. A lot. The sound of someone clearing her throat soon followed. He turned to whoever was behind him, finally opening his eyes.

"Oh. Hey, KP."

But Kim didn't share the same carefree smile he did. Quite the opposite, standing with crossed arms with an enraged look on her face. With the way her left eye was twitching, she was about to burst a blood vein on her forehead.

"Roooon…." Kim growled.

It didn't exactly occur to Ron about what just happened. One second, he is kissing the heck out of Kim, who had no objections to engage herself in the kiss, almost being knocked out by how powerful it was. The next second, she's behind him and ready to blow. And with the way her fingers were twitching, she was ready to strangle him, tear him to shreds, or perhaps a painful combination of both.

He didn't quite understand it at all.

It didn't quite hit him what he had just done.

The girl he kissed… _wasn't_ Kim Possible.

It finally hit Ron that something… didn't seem right with this picture. He took his time in trying to figure it out. Kissing her passionately one second, and she's in front of him. The next second, she's behind him, but looked like she was back on the angry setting of the moodulator. Arguably worse. He kissed somebody, and he could have sworn that it was Kim.

"Wait a minute!" he said, "If you're right here… then who's… back… there…?"

He slowly turned his head around, and when he saw his answer, his eyes shot so wide open they could fall right out.

"YORI?"

The one and only, who had the exact same reaction Ron did when he got his first kiss from a certain Kimberly Anne… except Yori's first kiss was from Ron, the one she always wanted to be her first. The girl nearly fainted and collapsed on her back, chuckling incredulously like her brain shut down on her. She was 'suffering' from paralysis in the best way imaginable.

Ron seemed even more perplexed by one detail. There were actually stars circling over Yori's head. He wasn't hallucinating.

He actually kissed Yori… on the lips…

Why on earth couldn't something like this happen BEFORE he started dating Kim, when he was single? That was the thought that went through his mind.

Speaking of Kim, he turned back to her, who looked no less angry than before. And why not? She had gone back to the medical room to see if any of the herbs or lotions could help Ron's condition, only to come back to find him making out with Yori, kissing her with the same passion he showed Kim on Prom Night and the Valentine's Ball _combined_.

It wouldn't be a mistake to think that the first thought that went through Kim's mind was that Ron was totally cheating on her. It was common knowledge that she was jealous of the ninja girl from Yamanouchi ever since they first met, and not because she thought Ron was secretly dating her.

If you had to rate them, at least this is what Kim told herself, Yori was superior to her in so many ways. The girl had a cute and quiet personality more guys were growing fond of, while Kim _still_ believed her tough butt-kicking attitude scared them off. Yori was stronger and more skilled than Kim was, which hadn't changed since the two helped save Sensei from DNAmy. But the part that made Kim feel really inferior? The looks. In Kim's mind, Yori was prettier and had a more curvaceous build and bigger bust than she did. And now to see Ron kissing the better girl…

Oh, she was definitely jellin'. But she wasn't just going to watch and let it happen. No one would dare dump Kim Possible, at least in the moodulator mode, but cheat? Oh, there was going to be serious hell to pay. Forget what Erik the syntho-drone did, Ron Stoppable was about to learn that the term heartbreak could be taken literally.

And he knew it. Just as everything clicked, he screamed, trying to get away from the redheaded girl who was bound to put him in a hospital bed if not the morgue. But he couldn't get on his feet.

He tried to explain himself, stammering the entire time and turning back and forth between the girls. "Wai… but I… I mean… You… I thought… I mean… was she… But you were…"

But every moment he crawled back, Kim stepped forward.

Ron let out a scream before he tried again. "I thought she was you! Come on, KP! Would the Ron-man show anyone other than my girl that kind of lovin'? You believe me, right? Right?"

He kept looking back and forth to Kim and the girl he just kissed. Forget Yori, the girl was out cold with the biggest smile on her face. All she ever wanted from Stoppable-san since day one was a kiss, and boy did she get it, but this was clearly not what she expected. Her wish finally came true. She was done. She got her closure in all of this.

Kim just continued to stomp toward Ron.

"Come on!" he cried. "Please don't kill me! I-I-I'm too young to die! Who else is going to keep the legacy of Bueno Nacho alive, huh?"

Finally, the silhouette of Kim stopped, dimmed by the sun above her. It was a dark sign of things to come.

Ron almost whimpered. "Oh, I'm so about to die…"

Yet, Kim's angry frown wasn't solid and firm. As if she was trying to hide something, her lips kept moving in a weird way. But she couldn't fight it anymore.

"RON! **YOU'RE BACK!"**

Ron was immediately tackled harder into the floor, and just in case Kim lost him again, she gave him six month's worth of loving. After wiping his lips repeatedly with her arm, she pressed her lips against his, kissing him just as hard as she did at the temple in the Amazon. She also rubbed her cheeks against his and was cuddling him like she never cuddled before. She also held him hard and tight, so much that almost every bone in Ron's back popped, not realizing she gave him a few spinal realignments and then some.

So how did she know it was really him? Only a goof like Ron could mistake Yori for her.

Kim was completely exhausted when it was all over, just cuddling Ron even more with the energy she had left. Ron on the other hand looked like he just survived an explosion, based on his hair, anyway. But he was completely silent. Not because of the Kim lovin', but because he was confused out of his mind.

Rufus, worrying that Kim was really going to kill him, ran toward his master and gave him a big hug as well. The girls weren't the only happy ones here.

Ron Stoppable was finally back. And he was more clueless than ever.

He kissed Yori, but Kim was snuggling with him. Shouldn't she have gave him a bloody nose or held him over the edge of the roof by his underwear? Instead, Kim kissed him on the cheek again, giggling. She also put one of her fingers on his belly, setting off a tickle nerve for a split second. It assured him he wasn't dreaming.

He didn't get it. Shouldn't he have been punished for kissing another girl, and not rewarded? And why was Kim this happy to see him?

"Um… did I do something right?" he asked.


	26. 25: Contact

I figured a few of you would be happy, and with Ron finally back I figured I'd lighten up the situation with some goofy humor even if it stepped out of line with how serious the story is. I don't think it hurts it. My theory here is that the only reason the story could be so dark and serious, other than Val, is if Ron wasn't there to lighten things up. Now I made up for it. We'll see only just a tad bit more of unrealistic humor, otherwise we head back into extreme serious mode.

Well, now you know why I had the "K/R**_?_**" in the summary. Not just because I made you all wonder whether or not they'd get back together, though some of you knew or figured it out anyway :P, but I tossed in a small R/Y moment, too. Seemed right in my head. But we've got a little of something else… How will it involve K, R, or Y again? I won't give you any hinters on that even if you ask. :D

The story's already longer than the previous one, and we still haven't reached the final stages of it! WTH! Don't worry, that starts next chapter.

This chapter's going to bother some people because of where the focus lies. Like it or not, it's still an integral part of the story. And the warning of the last chapter about moments of discomfort and to avoid jumping to conclusions? That probably should have applied to this chapter instead. No, really.

This is strange. Ron's been missing for about six months… and I've been working on the story for over six months, and now we get him back just like Kim did. I just find that to be a somewhat amusing coincidence.

So the Kim and Ron conflict finally comes to an end… but not all is well just yet…

**Chapter 25: Contact**

* * *

The steel door was sealed tight, far too strong to be moved by a human being. It also didn't help that all of the keys on the keypad lock were removed, and the actual key was broken inside the keyhole.

Of course, when you had more than a few lightweight explosives on you, there wasn't much to worry about. It blew open without much hassle. It appeared that Valia's escape was successful for the most part, armed to the teeth with all of his equipment intact. Surprisingly, none of the girls took anything, although Lexis took back what he stole earlier: "Love" and "Lust" – the names of her two swords.

The winds of hell nearly blew his face off the second he set foot outside the abandoned lab, forcing him to shield his eyes from the snow that flew at him like a swarm of hornets.

"It's finally looking like December for a change…"

Hardly able to see anything that was in front of him, he slowly traversed through the deep and thick snow.

The abandoned lab was located on the southeast coast of Greenland, where nothing but snowy mountains and icecaps could be seen even with an aerial view. It actually didn't look that much different from Drakken's snow mountain lab, the one he had been on the entire winter season.

But it wasn't calm and peaceful like you'd see in photos and pictures. Ryan stepped outside only to be met by a ferocious blizzard, one that could have blown pieces of rock off the surface of the mountain and sent it flying right at him. The impact would prove to be no different than getting struck by a record-speed baseball pitch. Fortunately for him though, the journey down the mountain wouldn't prove long or dangerous. It resembled a steep hill more than anything else, perfect for skiing if not for the threatening roars of the wind and terrible visibility. And since Ryan was packed with everything but sports equipment, he took the long way down: Walking.

But he still had to do so carefully. A wrong step could have him slipping, and judging how slippery the rock surface was underneath the snow, it could easily break his ankle. So he walked through the snow in a defensive kind of stance, covering his face with his arms, taking each step with careful precision. Time was not relevant. He was in no hurry.

Thankfully for him, the weather got less hideous the deeper he got down the mountain, and he was able to see much farther than before. While the storm had no end in sight, it didn't require him to cover his face anymore, and each step through the snow felt less icy. He was able to merely walk down the mountain.

But for someone who escaped an imprisonment with such harsh conditions, you would think even someone like Val would wear a face that wasn't expressionless.

Well, surprisingly he was. But it wasn't of satisfaction, bliss or relief.

While his face was just as cold and bitter as usual, his eyes said it all, filled with nothing but guilt and regret. He wasn't proud of what he did, and he even wondered why he did it in the first place. Was it absolutely necessary? No. Was there any reason that demanded it? Not really. Was anything good going to come out of it? Hardly. There was no satisfaction that came out of it. No fun, no joy, nothing that put a smile on his face. So why on earth did he do it?

He didn't know. But what was done was done. There was no going back and changing it. Trying to get his thoughts off the subject, he reached for the bottom of his left boot and found a small tracker shaped like an insect. He crushed it with two metal fingers. Then he continued on. It was best that he get away from here anyway, and as far as he could.

And considering he just found a sword to his throat, there was good reason.

"Val!" a voice next to him called.

Rolling his eyes to his side, he saw Lexis, single-handedly holding one of her blades to his throat. The storm was no less brutal to her than it was to him, blowing her hair and her coat all over the place. Her grip on the blade was strong; it didn't even shake with the harsh winds one bit.

"I see you've finally made it out!" she hollered through the winds. "I expected no less out of you…"

Ryan didn't appear amused or surprised at the least. "It appears that my arrival was anything but unexpected."

The girl only smiled at him before making a sudden move. She quickly pulled the blade off to attack him with it, but it was the opportune moment for him to escape, and he did by leaping far out of the way. Had he not, she would have sliced him in four, and the cuts would have been so swift that not an ounce of blood would've been dropped.

Although this was entirely expected, she was impressed by his swift maneuverability. But her disciple wasn't responsive. He was still vexed of her involvement in all of this. Not just because she was still alive, not because she was now his enemy, but he just couldn't figure out her exact role in all of this. Based on what he had heard and seen throughout the journey, he might have been facing the mastermind behind it all. But why her? What were her real reasons behind everything?

Whatever the case, it was time to end it, once and for all.

"Why are you doing this?" he demanded. "What do you gain out of everything you've done?"

"Why?" she simply asked, "Because it was the only way this could ever happen, V. Here, alone, just the two of us… I've been waiting a long time for this moment to come."

But once again, she acted a lot differently than she did before. Her posture was a lot more calm and serene than earlier, with eyes that no longer rivaled the freezing cold of the mountain.

"'Just the two of us'… what exactly is it that you want, Lexis?"

"Call me Enya, V…" she simply replied, "Nobody else is around to hear us. There's no need for me to keep a guise on any longer."

He shook his head. "I will not." Apparently he wasn't buying it.

She too shook her head. "You poor fool… Wandering alone in this world has left you confused… with no one to help you, no one to guide you… you've lost touch of everything we've learned and shared together…"

"ENOUGH!" he yelled. "You are NOT the girl you claim to be!"

She sighed. "Is it really that hard to believe that I'm standing here before you, V? …I thought you were completely aware of all of the possibilities the world had to offer…"

Val found himself even more perplexed. There was so much sorrow in her voice, and it wasn't the kind that was easily faked. Still, he kept his guard up. "What do you mean?"

She took a couple of steps to the side, hardly concerned with the snow blowing straight into her eyelids. "…Maybe you are right… I'm not the girl you once remembered me as…"

"Then who are you?

"I wish I could tell you," she answered. "I wish I could tell you that the girl you saw die before your eyes was a fake. I wish I could tell you that I'm one of many clones of your former mentor. I wish I could tell you I was Enya's twin sister, or maybe a scientific creation designed to perfectly mimic the girl who found love in you only moments away from death. You see, V, there really is no end to the possibilities of why I'm standing here before you. It's perfectly logical. Look at where we're at today: December 20, 2006… While it's been said endless times that our technology grows more advanced with each passing day, no one truly knows the extent of it. It's been nearly four years since we last met… and in such a short time we've already surpassed the boundaries of human life and death. Just because someone dies doesn't mean their soul and entity have truly left this world. No. Their bodies can be completely reconstructed perfectly to the split end of a hair."

For someone who hadn't spoken to him alone for almost four years, he had a feeling this wasn't all the girl had to say.

She continued, "Blood, tissue, and DNA samples of just about every human being on the planet have been stored in all kinds of top secret storage houses... But weapons like us, dogs of war, we who fight, where our efforts go unappreciated by the media, twisted into something it wasn't by the pens of biased journalists and politicians who thought that resolving bloody conflicts meant sitting on their asses and arguing like a bunch of imbeciles!" She realized she was going off topic, huffing angrily. "…It was a pact they agreed to when they joined. They did it with their own free will, but whether or not they knew why their government needed their blood and tissue samples is completely irrelevant. They agreed. So did I, as did you… Maybe I didn't work at the PHRND like you did… You thought we could only emulate thoughts and personalities, but you thought it was impossible to do so with existing people. You were wrong."

She was standing still for some time, and she decided to end that, slowly walking around. Val had no intention of escaping, foreseeing the inevitable.

"This is the 21st century, V," she went on, "We've reached the age where everything from the genes that birthed mankind, the flow of information as we know it, even martial arts and military techniques thought to be lost forever… it can all be stored digitally. As long as technology exists, the knowledge of everything mankind will see throughout the years to come will never leave this world. It's the reason why I'm here in front of you, V. The perfect reason. You know more than anyone how the two senators we took orders from hated us, but especially me. They knew I was their ultimate weapon... I wasn't even fifteen, and I already possessed abilities legendary soldiers would take a lifetime to obtain. They said I was gifted, much like you. But we couldn't be controlled. I couldn't be controlled. Silvia and Brown wanted me to be their pawn, to hijack elections, do all the illegal work they couldn't be caught doing, stealing money, all for petty political games. I had everything they wanted except loyalty. Much like you, I joined because I believed in a greater cause, to help people's lives, and to prevent them from suffering the same fate as my parents did… the same fate I wound up succumbing to. Most of the higher-ups had no idea who we were, that we existed, or what was going on with those two. We started a war… but at the cost of my former life… They realized it was a mistake to send me out to die, Silvia and Brown, but with the way technology had evolved, their loss wasn't permanent. They had the technology to construct anyone they wanted, now that the flow of time has allowed even memories of a human being to be digitalized. And who other than their ultimate weapon who refused to concede into their control? It makes perfect sense now, doesn't it?"

Val finally chose to intervene, even if it was brief. "So… it isn't really you on the outside."

"But it is on the inside! I possess the same memories as I did before, V. It's no different today than it was 45 months ago."

"Then answer me this…" he growled, "Why did you choose me? I wasn't anything but the most skilled of agents, a rookie at best yet you took me under your wing. Why did you choose me to be the survivor? Why did you want me to live? The world needed you then, and they needed someone like you now!"

She turned away and sighed in pity. "V…" she said quietly, "You were a pure spirit when I first met you. Naïve, sheltered, innocent… and no less mature as you are now. Every other teenage agent thought they were doing volunteer work. They were reluctant to fight, and didn't have what it took. But not you. I never met somebody like you then, but I saw a deep hidden potential inside of you that no one on earth would dare to imagine possible… not just your physical abilities… not the fact that you managed to take apart an AK-47 and put it back together the same minute you saw it for the first time… You wanted to learn so much, to become a better person than your parents and escape the fate they met in their demise. And in return, by teaching you everything I learned, I thought that you could give me something I thought I had lost forever…"

"Hope…" he replied.

She nodded. "But I realized it was a mistake… exposing you to what a dark planet Earth can truly be… corrupting an innocent mind. Many people today take pleasure in doing such a thing, but the only thing that came out of it for me was guilt, and it still consumes me to this day… I should have just left you to live a normal life… You didn't need to see everything I have… You didn't need to know how truly corrupt mankind is…"

Val briefly looked away in clear disagreement. "No… It's something I got a front row seat of long after your demise and even with an erased memory. Don't blame yourself… I tried to turn myself around and fight it, but it wasn't enough…"

"Hear me out…" she said, "We were both taken hostage in the Middle East after Brown and Silvia made arrangements with terrorists to kill us for setting foot on their land. And they arranged it in such a way that none of the higher ups would find out about it, not even the FBI or even your CIA, and even if they did they couldn't do jack about it, not with those two filling their pockets with Benjamins. It was life's end for both of us, but I knew that at least one of us could make it out alive… and maybe we both could have…"

Ryan couldn't believe what he was hearing. "What?"

Enya was quick to shrug it off. "No… there was far too much to risk if we both returned to America. Could we have exposed The Bosses for what they were? Perhaps, but they'd find a way to paint us as liars as they've done before endless times. They sent us out there to die because they got desperate. They got scared. And if we both came back alive, they would do everything they could to destroy us and the ones we love, and they could have gotten away with it, too."

"But we're both orphans, Enya…" Val had interjected, "You wanted your revenge when your parents died, and mine weren't worth saving no matter how you look at it."

"I'm talking about you…" she replied softly, "Valia, listen to me… I became a soldier knowing the fate I'd suffer. That's what being one is all about… die to protect. To fight even if it means dying. Honor in death. It's not something people tend to remember or want to understand, but I believed in it to the end. But sitting at death's gate, I found myself more concerned for you more than anything, even my own life. I knew I was going to die. I was the one they wanted dead. But there was a way out for you. You could have escaped… but only you. One of us could live, but the other had to die. I wanted you to be the one to live, V…"

Somehow her mood completely changed. Ryan could see the tears freeze up on her eyes. She started to approach him, but there was no malice in her steps. Before Val knew it, she was standing right in front of him.

"I really wish that we could have spent our futures together…" she said as she wiped more ice off her eyes, "grow old… enjoy life… be normal… there was so much we could have done…"

Suddenly, she threw herself at him, holding him tightly in her arms. Despite the sudden discomfort on his face at first, he had no objections. She also wrapped his arms around her and tight.

"I loved you, V…" she said, resting her head on his chest, "That's why I couldn't let you die. I might have shown you how cruel this world is, but you were still young. I didn't expect you to understand my feelings then… You didn't understand everything… and that was why I knew you could go back. That's why I chose you. You could turn your life around and start all over again. You could be given a second chance. I wanted you to live a normal life, to enjoy all the pleasures everyday people experience. To laugh, love, enjoy the company of others, live for yourself and help people. If dying meant you could go back and live a normal life, then I would proudly give up my life for that, for you… Even if vengeance was my original cause, it wouldn't be worth it if I had to live in a world without you."

Valia couldn't believe it. He knew why Enya allowed herself to die, but hearing it come out of her mouth, her voice, he couldn't believe it. "E-Enya…" Even after his memory had returned to him, he realized he forgot one of the girl's final requests: Escape your fate and live a normal life. He sighed, still having a hard time believing he was holding somebody. "I'm sorry…"

Enya shook her head. "No… Don't be. I should've known that after all this time, even after my death, that life would still grab you by the balls and keep you on the path of the warrior. I know you tried, V… but I had no idea that people would still be cruel to you…" She took her head off his chest and looked into his eyes. "I overheard your talk with Possible back in Kowloon… how you got that scar on your eye and everything you had gone through. I almost cried. This wasn't what I wanted you to become. This wasn't the life I wanted you to live…" Again she paused, wrapping her right hand in Val's mechanical left, almost horrified in its appearance.

Val quickly remembered that day. "And somehow unleashing a mutated ape monster on me is any better than what you're holding?" he almost yelled.

"I'm so sorry…" she apologized, and the sorrow was legit, "I'm sorry for everything… It was an act, and I couldn't blow my cover… but I am so sorry…"

"But why?" he asked. "What exactly was your role in all of this?"

"Almost everything…" she answered, "Like I said before, after allying myself with Lipsky, he sent me over to Kowloon to locate Stoppable and prevent Possible from finding him. But that was just one of many things I did…"

"Am I correct in assuming you orchestrated the entire hunt for Possible involving the black suits?" Val asked.

"You are," Enya answered, "and I had to ensure that the operation went well, but not too well… I had to keep you, Possible and the Kunoichi on your feet…"

"I suppose Drakken was a smart one if he came up with that idea and trusted you to carry it on," Val said with a slightly impressed look in his eyes.

"No," she quickly replied. "The hunt was my idea, but I wouldn't allow any of you to be captured or killed."

"That didn't stop Sean Hanteren from attacking us with PSG-1 sniper rifles, Stinger surface-to-air missiles and laser guns."

"And a UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter armed with a M60 machine gun, but that was Shego's doing just as she told you," she explained, "She had that tracker on you and tipped him off. She wanted to take control of everything, but I had to put a stop to that."

"Drakken sent you in to put a lead on her."

"No, that was something of my own choosing as well…" she told him, "I wanted to make sure she didn't have her way with you. The laboratory behind us wasn't exactly as dark and useless as it was now. There was an electric generator deep inside the mountain that provided it with endless electricity. You might not see Shego as the torturous type, but it was her intention to electrocute you and torture you until you gave into her will… at least that's what her plan was. She loves to inflict pain and cherishes the thought of seeing Kim Possible suffer, but she can't watch people suffer for extended periods of time when there's death involved or the risk of it, especially when you have over tens of thousands of volts burning the insides of your body."

"The reason why villains are never there to watch their victims perish… I'm familiar with the theory…"

"Yes. Because of that, she's not exactly an expert on torture or interrogation, and it's likely she'd overdo it and accidentally kill you instead. I couldn't allow it. Long before she learned this place existed I had the generator destroyed, rendering everything including the torture bed useless. She had no idea the entire time."

"Lexis… Melissa Uso…" He found himself conflicted with the girl's multiple personalities. "You say you protected me, but…"

"You don't believe me? That's understandable…" she said with narrowed eyes. "Kowloon, Belize, the lab – it was all an act, just as I told you. I didn't enjoy making you or Kim Possible suffer, but I couldn't let any of you know who I really was. Not Shego, Possible, Stoppable, Load, Ferno, Killbourne, and especially you. Yes… much of it was done to study the relationship between Possible and Stoppable, but I don't exactly mean their romantic and intimate one. I heard only so little about her before my death, and I wanted to see if she truly was the girl who could do anything. Not bad for someone who can actually live an ordinary life. Not like us."

"The two weren't your only focus, though."

She shook her head. "No… Really, the whole time I had been longing for you, V. That was why I orchestrated the entire hunt with the black suits and fought Possible in Middleton and purposely lost. I knew she would seek you out and fight you. In victory or defeat she'd give you the details, not that she had a chance in hell of beating you then and even now. I wanted to leave enough clues to raise even your suspicion to get you involved. I wanted to see you again. I know I unleashed a mutated Stoppable on you, tried to kill you in Belize, fought you in the Tower and choked you here… I didn't enjoy it one bit… I truly am sorry, but I understand if you don't forgive me for it. I probably don't even deserve it."

"So why did you do it?"

"Because I wanted to see how you turned out, V. I loved you… raised you, taught you techniques, trained you how to handle weapons, fight swift and strategically, and all the essentials of survival and battle. All of this was done to observe what you learned and what direction in life you took in the last four years… and maybe it was a mistake to do what I did… die so you could live. I should've actually attempted to escape with you, regardless of the risks…"

"You can't change the past…"

"V… listen…" she went on, "I was proud of you when I heard that you fell in love with someone, but I almost cried hearing how it turned out. You made me so proud when I learned that you actually tried to help and save people and still tried to use your abilities for the goodness of mankind despite methods most wouldn't agree with, when I feared that perhaps you'd abuse your power to toy with others' lives and laugh at their suffering like those we worked for. Thank you…"

Then she actually did it. She kissed him on the cheek. But afterward, she immediately let go, turned away and started to walk away from him.

"But life isn't fair, and it can take us in directions even we would never dare to anticipate or prepare ourselves for. And as weapons, we are never rewarded for our good deeds despite what form they come in, not with what people's standards, expectations and biases are on what's right and wrong in the world today. No one else will ever understand this. No one else will ever understand us. But I do and always have. I know you're a troubled and confused soul… the personified product of a world and society grown mad and corrupt. It was my greatest fear that everything would come down to this, and I truly hoped this day would have never come. I can't say I approve of what you plan to do, but it's not within my power to ask you to cease your assault. I would be a hypocrite in doing so…"

She had some of her fingers sliding across the grip of one of her swords. However, one should note that when it comes to swords in their sheathes, the frost sometimes freezes it and the sword hand guard together. Even so, Enya took it out effortlessly. After she was a safe distance from Val, she stopped and turned back to him.

"Please… let me test how much you've grown for one last time. Let me see if you're prepared to do what you're about to do."

And without warning in any of her nerves, she pulled out her other sword and hurled it at her disciple like a boomerang. Val quickly caught it the same second without blinking. Anyone else would have had their head sliced right off, and it would've taken them a few seconds to realize that.

"If you beat me," she explained, "it will only assure me that you're destined for what you intend to do… but if you win, please… I want you to do something for me…"

"Anything."

"I want you to kill me."

Val's eyes almost shot wide open with that remark. His lips moved but no words came out.

"What's wrong?" Enya asked. "Isn't that what you wanted? Isn't it the reason you've been after me the whole time?"

Again, he struggled to answer. "Maybe at first… but… "

Tears suddenly came gushing out of the girl's eyes. "Val… please! FREE ME! I don't want to live an artificial life anymore! Release me from this world and let my soul finally rest in peace and eternity!" she begged. "I had my regrets in leaving you behind, all alone, but do you know what it's like to awaken from death? To have your soul still wandering around the world never finding peace? To be resurrected against your own will, trapped in a body that's not even truly yours? A fake? And for what? To be kept alive because two idiots realized they threw away one of their best? Listen to me. I was trapped then, prevented from doing anything that could truly benefit mankind, and I'm even more trapped now than I was then…" She had to sniff her nose and rub the ice off her eyes before standing defiantly before him. "I'm a prisoner of death… Only you can free me."

Her apprentice completely understood her, taking a steady grip on the weapon offered to him.

"You're the only one who can do this." She held the sword so that it was leveled parallel to her eyes. "This will be a fight to the death… I know everything you're planning to do and why. I truly hoped in my heart it wouldn't come down to this, but it appears that your decision is final and you'll go to the depths of hell itself to achieve your goal. I won't try to stop you, but I won't make it easy on you either. I will kill you, or you will kill me. I don't want to kill you, but I will if you lose, and I will take my own life shortly after. Perhaps then… we can finally be together forever… No… your life is more important than my own wishes. I want _you_ to be the one to set me free. I want you to live on…"

Valia could only shake his head.

"To have my life ended by my own disciple… that's all could ever want and ask for," she said softly. "Please… grant me my final wish… Take my life and release me from the world of the living… only then will you know the truth of everything… For me, Val… please. Let me be free."

It all came down to this. Master and apprentice. A final fight. No hand-to-hand combat. No weapons other than two swords. One born of the natural world and one who wasn't. Although Val didn't get all of the answers he hoped for, he got enough to get some closure out of all of this. And while the girl was an artificial recreation of his former master, the soul that was trapped inside her artificial body was the same as the one who helped train him and teach him everything.

Val had a tough decision facing him, but it didn't take him very long to make a choice. He lifted the sword up so that the blade was parallel to his lowered eyes.

"Permission granted."

The decision was final. He accepted her challenge. He wasn't going to let his personal feelings get in the way, but instead he felt he needed to do what needed to be done. The sorrow in Enya's eyes quickly wore off, briefly smiling before getting into a stance and readying herself, which Val did as well. It was an open field with nothing that would get in the way. No rocks, trees or anything. Just deep snow, fog, and a blizzard that was growing more powerful by the second.

The stage was set. It was time to finish this dramatic piece. They were ready.

"Now… **_BEAT ME!"_** Enya pleaded.

And in the same instant, metal struck metal, carving into each other as sparks erupted and melted the snow around them. Sword against sword, Enya tried with all her strength to knock her adversary off his feet. Despite her smaller stature, she was the last person on Earth not to be taken seriously.

The fight had just begun.

* * *

"You don't remember _anything_?"

Ron shook his head. "No…"

"You had no idea you were changing into a monster?"

"Nope."

"Purple-pigtail girl named Melissa?"

"Nuh uh."

"Kowloon?"

"Not ringing a bell."

Kim couldn't believe it. Ron didn't remember anything? She briefly explained a few of the things that happened within the last few months, just to give Ron an idea that he'd been gone for some time.

"Man… no wonder things feel different. I mean, now you're different!"

"Huh?" Kim asked. "What do you mean?"

Ron pointed to her hair. "You got a haircut, Kim! But why? I loved that long flippy hair of yours!" he whined.

"Actually… you… kinda sliced it off when we fought…" she told him.

Ron's chin practically hit the floor. "I WHAT? Oh man, I am so sorry, KP! I'll never do it again!" he tried to assure her. "Man… Kim with short hair? Twisted MMP powers? Purple-haired girls? And I turned 19? Man… just how long was I out of the loop?"

Kim couldn't wait to hear his reaction to this one. "…six months."

"SIX MONTHS? DUDE! My final business paper is overdue! I-I haven't reported back to work! I haven't called mom and dad! I didn't even get you a present for your birthday! I…" he couldn't finish. In an instant Ron nearly suffered a panic attack and was hyperventilating.

But in actuality, Ron went missing for six months, but he didn't remember anything that had occurred in the last eight months. The last thing he truly remembered was Kim yelling at him when Val got the next-to-last ancient relic back in Go City. He didn't remember treating her badly, losing his job, snatching a bottle of rum from Upperton's Liquor store, or Kim's injury that put her in a wheelchair. Kim wasn't exactly aware of this, but she'd figure it out soon enough.

But right now, it wasn't easy for her to watch him freak out like this. Even though in his early-possessed state he was showing signs of extreme stress about work and school, it looked like there was some truth in it, and not just the result of cursed psychological change.

"Ron, it's okay!" she assured him while grabbing his shoulders. "They know you went missing and I promised them I'd find you. It's okay, babe. Don't worry about it or anything else. I took care of it."

However, unlike many times in the past where she attempted to calm him down, it wasn't working. Several things went through his mind, and Kim instantly realized that even though Ron was back to his normal self and remembered her, he could have still been mentally unstable with his brain probably trying to find the lost memories of the last eight months. And maybe he hadn't fully recovered and was still suffering from a few side effects.

Rufus had attempted to massage Ron's shoulders to calm him down, but it was clear that Ron really was having a panic attack. But as always Kim wasn't going to sit back and watch. This was serious. While she tried to learn how to remedy such situations thanks to advice from mom, she didn't exactly learn how to remedy panic attacks from someone who had been possessed and mutated by cursed powers, turned back into his original human form in mere seconds, was in a temporary state of death, and suffered a brief coma.

She wish she could say it was so not the drama, but it was. It pained her to see him like this. She had to find a way to comfort him, so she did the first thing that came to mind and wrapped her arms around Ron and held him tight. She whispered calmly in his ear.

"Ron, I'm here for you. It's okay. I'm here. Close your eyes, Ron. It's going to be all right."

Finally, it took him about a minute to stop hyperventilating. Kim kept holding him tight, with her body so close against his that they felt each other's heartbeats. And really, it was arguable who felt more pleasure out of it. On Ron's end, the constant and soft beating of Kim's heart was like a lullaby to him, a soothing and relaxing feeling that took his mind off of everything. As for Kim, considering how much his heart was beating yesterday, just to know it was beating steadily was the most relieving feeling in the world.

Five minutes had passed before Ron's heartbeat resumed a steady pace, almost matching Kim's. However, just when she was about to let go of him and pull back, she couldn't. He had his arms firmly wrapped around her, hesitant to release her. A strong hold, but a soft one at the same time. And really, Kim didn't want to let go either. She felt so comfortable in his arms, not minding the gentle breeze of him breathing on her neck. Time had slowed down for them, with seconds passing by like minutes. Even though she wasn't so big on so much hugging and holding early on in the relationship, with the exception of Ron being in critical danger, it was among many feelings that she had missed so much. Six months felt like six years, and even an ounce of paranoia told her it might not last considering every sudden twist that came her way on this journey. She was going to enjoy this moment as much as she could.

It felt so right. Just like Prom, the two held each other as if the outside world didn't exist. It just felt right. She could have fallen asleep right in his arms and he wouldn't have minded.

Then she noticed a change in Ron's breathing. He let out a long and proud sigh of relief. "Man, I don't know what I'd do without you, Kim…" and in that same moment he realized something, "Hey, your hair's still flippy!"

Kim smiled, feeling Ron's fingers gently stroke through her hair, and she found herself doing the same to him. And what a relieving tingle it was for every one of her fingers. His natural blond Ron hair felt so much better than that disgusting, rotting, stinking fur earlier. They found it hard to let each other go. Even though Ron didn't remember anything that had happened for the last half-year, he could feel the months of absence by holding the girl he had known forever. That empty and missing feeling… it was her, or lack thereof.

"Man… six months…" It wasn't easy for Ron to believe.

Kim slowly pulled away from him, just enough to look into his eyes. "Ron, I'm not going to lie to you. You wanna know what life's like without you for six months?"

"Bad?"

"It's a living hell."

It was anything but an expected answer. "Geez…"

Not much else to say there. Not that Ron was the most observant person on the planet, but he could see so much sorrow, pain and anger in her eyes, something probably only he would notice. He couldn't imagine everything that happened to her to make her look like this, not that she looked any different other than her haircut. And like a lot of Kim's classmates at Upperton U, Ron thought that in that time she would've moved on.

Even though he had a lot of confidence in himself, or rather who he was, his self-esteem always staggered when it came to the relationship. He loved Kim and would do anything for her, but when it came to someone like her, he thought that maybe there was someone else who was better for her. With his absence, he thought she would move on in life and not be chained to him. But in that paranoia he forgot why Kim had fallen for him in the first place. There were many times in Kim's life where she could have left Ron behind in the dark and take on a new direction in life without him. But she couldn't, not with everything they had been through together. She never gave up on him. She needed him just as much as he needed her.

There's at least one person on the planet who can't live without you, and Ron was fortunate enough that she lived in the same neighborhood as he did. But it also went the other way around.

"The _whole_ time you've been searching for me?" he asked. He still couldn't believe it.

"You'd do the same for me," she merely answered.

"I would, huh? Man. I figured if I ever ran away or anything, you'd drag me back home in the same hour, Kim. But six months? What happened?"

"We don't know… somehow you disappeared off the global radar," Kim tried to explain. "You somehow managed to turn off your tracker again, and you just disappeared off the face of the earth. No one could find you. Not Wade, Nev or any of their colleagues. We couldn't even find Rufus. I was so worried since you just suddenly left without saying anything. But I wasn't going to give up on you. I even helped Wade and dad develop all kinds of new technology to track you. But I also went after every single clue hoping I'd find you, but a lot of them were dead ends. Someone was making sure we wouldn't see each other again."

"Man… I am so sorry, KP… but even Wade and your dad couldn't pick me up? Man, that's hardcore…" But Ron still wanted to know how she found him.

"I refused to believe you were dead, but we had nothing. Everyone who tried to help couldn't… except…" Kim wasn't sure how she'd explain this.

"Except…?"

* * *

Sparks, snow, wind and fog.

Unfortunately for both Enya and Valia, they were facing mirror versions of themselves. The same moves performed at the same time with the same strategy.

Enya had started the duel by fighting offensively, and in retaliation Val had fought offensively as well, usually by pressing as hard as they could against the other's weapon. Because of how close they were to each other, Enya found an opening and head-butted her disciple, which knocked him to the ground. Fortunately for him, he was able to get up before she could take advantage of the fall. Val went in defensive mode after that, as did she. Sidestepping, circling each other, leaping from side to side, advancing forward and retreating back; all attempts to confuse the opponent. Seeing that it was going nowhere, they went on the attack again.

It was difficult to see exactly what was going on in the fight, as both combatants didn't hesitate to display their acrobatic abilities, leaping in the air and landing several feet away, flipping and spinning their bodies, all at the peak of human potential. They clashed weapons as they did this. None of their techniques could be considered traditional in any way. There were many times where Enya threw her sword at Val like a boomerang and it always came back to her. He often spun his sword wildly like a helicopter blade in his fingers, a defensive maneuver that could kill, and she did the same. A witness would have thought that they were blindly swinging the swords around with no focus or thought, which was anything but the truth. There were also endless times where their weapons or bodies threw snow in the air, and often into each other.

Hand-to-hand combat wasn't out of the question, either. Elbow and shoulder thrusts, kicks and knees, and probably the most awkward of all moves, Enya caught Val's sword in her own, grabbed it and pressed her body against his with her back facing him. It looked like she was going to throw him over her shoulder, but instead she threw her butt into his abs, and it was actually powerful enough to knock Val straight into the ground. But she was also the victim of his usual repertoire of reversals and counterattacks.

Would it be speed that determined the winner in this fight?

The problem with fighting Val was that his speed and knowledge of many arts made it extremely difficult to anticipate his next move. The problem with fighting Enya was that no matter what she did, it was impossible to react to it. She was a hell of a lot faster than he was. Anyone without lightning-fast reflexes would have been dead less than a second into this fight, and wouldn't have realized it until after they saw pieces of themselves lying in the snow.

The two soon found themselves literally juggling their swords around. A confusing maneuver, but with the way they were both doing it, a deadly one. The two got into another clash, spinning their bodies as they spun their blades, a dangerous and risky move that could easily kill one of them if they got careless or dizzy.

Strangely enough, both got knocked to the ground as both were close enough to initiate a shoulder slam, one with their arms stretched to strike at a distance. Their biceps, shoulder blades and skulls collided against the other's, knocking them several feet away from each other. The swords also flew out of their hands and closer to their opponents. While Enya started the battle wielding "Love", "Lust" landed right next to her. Likewise for Val.

Despite their pain, they both immediately got up, got the sword closest to them, and continued their silent duel. No words. No emotions. No thought.

At least, that's what the two told themselves.

* * *

"_**WHAT?"**_

"Ron, don't get angry!"

"Angry? This isn't angry, Kim! This is like uber-surprised! You actually teamed up with Val? Ryan? Legion? The guy who kept using us against each other?"

"I-I got desperate!" she tried to explain. "I didn't have any leads or whereabouts about where you were, but he actually promised me he'd help me find you!"

"You actually believed him, just like that?"

"Of course not! I thought it was a setup, but I did it because that's how bad I wanted to find you. I had to take that chance. But it's not like I fought crime with crime with him for months. I didn't sell out or anything."

"How long until you both managed to find me?"

"Two days," she quickly answered. "But he still stuck around until we put the MMP only into your body."

"Man, he must've been bored," Ron tried to tell himself, but he felt overly skeptical. "But why would the guy do that?" he tried to fathom.

"I don't know… But even if it was him, I needed all the help I could to find you." However, Kim had to rely on further explanation. "Ron, listen. Without you… I just… suddenly became weak. I felt lost, and it was affecting everything I did, from school to hero work. Once you stepped out the door, everything just sank. I tried to partner up with two guys I thought I could rely on as temp partners, but they wound up betraying me no different than syntho-jerk, minus any close attachment. School was just a total nightmare with that riot, and everyone hated me so much for it… I know people were mean and rough on you in D Hall, especially when we switched bodies that one time…"

"It wasn't so bad, not when I had my best friend at the time to hang with and take my mind off of it…." Then he realized. "Oh…" She didn't.

"I thought it was just a high school thing," Kim vented, "I know so many things change between high school and college. I know this is the real world and things are different, even though I've been around the world… but… I couldn't believe how cruel people could really be… all the prank phone calls at three in the morning, egging my car, tossing open jars of jelly into my room when I have the door open, ding-dong ditch, leaving gum under the doorknob, sneaking a lizard into my room through the crack of the door, shoving their trays into my head at the cafeter-"

"Stop right there, KP…" Ron said with his finger on her lips. "Too much info…" And with that he held her tightly again.

He just couldn't believe it. With so few words, he couldn't look at Kim and believe she was the victim of so much. Who would want to hurt a nice girl like Kim other than villains who want to conquer the world? And really, all she tried to do was help and do the right thing as she always did. But unlike before, it interfered with their personal lives, but people were getting hurt, cars were being destroyed, stores were being looted and vandalized, and the police desperately needed her help. She couldn't say no to that, even if it affected her social status with everyone. But Kim went into it knowing the consequences of her participation, hoping the people would understand, hoping the students would forgive her and realize they were wrong in what they did. They didn't. Even though she tried to reason with them and explain it, they were too self-righteous to deny they did anything wrong.

But all of this made Ron feel like the worst human being on the planet for not being there for her when she needed someone the most. Phone calls to mom, Monique and Jen just didn't cut it. She needed someone there next to her. She needed him.

Kim tried to continue, getting a tear in her eye from remembering, holding the person she so wished was there when it happened. "Without you, things started falling apart. I got depressed in college… everything just seemed so wrong… and it started affecting my hero work. I tried to fight Val when this all started, and even though I gave it 110 percent, I couldn't beat him. And if I couldn't beat him, he said, I couldn't take on the rest of the world either. And he was right…"

Ron found himself perplexed by that last comment. He couldn't believe how much Kim had changed. "Gosh, KP… you stopped believing in yourself…" He felt Kim nod on his shoulders.

She sniffed. "I could've said no, but since we couldn't find him in six months either, I thought he'd know. I didn't trust him at first. I didn't like the idea of teaming up with him. Really, I was waiting for the moment he'd leave himself wide open so I could get back at him for everything he's done to us and knock him out of our lives. But we found you."

But Ron was still skeptical. "You're sure this isn't some kind of trap for a bigger scheme or something?"

"I don't care," Kim quickly answered, backing away so she could look into his eyes. "None of that matters as long as we're back together here and now. The important thing is that you're in front of me. That's all I wanted, and that's all I could ask for, and… he actually lived up to his word and delivered. Even if it is a trap, I've got you by my side now. Whether you like it or not, Ron… we wouldn't be holding each other right now if it wasn't for him." That and his knowledge of ancient technology.

Ron really didn't know how to react to that. Not just because of Val's sudden promise, a strange turn from everything he had done to knock Team Possible off #1 in the charts, but because of the way Kim spoke so appreciatively of him, which was anything but common. Ron could've sworn that she only spoke about him with hatred in her heart. Not just because he used her emotions for Ron against her, but because she felt the competitive need to overcome him, but couldn't. It wasn't like the movies where the hero would start out weak against an unbeatable villain, and ninety minutes later he or she would easily conquer him or her. But then again, there were times where Ron noticed that Kim felt pity for Val because of how he turned out, thinking there was still good deep inside of him. It was especially more apparent now.

Kim released herself from Ron's grip, carefully inspecting him. "Is something else wrong?" She thought it might not have been the best idea for him to think so much given his condition.

He shook his head, sighing in confusion. "Nah… it's just been one whacked-out day, that's all. I've been mutated by cursed monkey powers these last few months and don't remember a thing, you get a new haircut, everyone's suddenly mean to you, but Val Ryan actually helping us get back together? This is going to take some time to register, you know."

"I understand."

Ron also found himself surprised with how softly she spoke to him. She really did miss and worry for him that much.

"Kinda wish I was around to see that. Teaming up with a guy like that and not getting totally betrayed… Wait, if you two were teaming up just to save me, where did he go off to?"

Kim shrugged. "I don't know. I know he had some unfinished business with Purple Eyes, but I don't get why he suddenly came to the temple in the Amazon and took the…"

Noting the confused look on Ron's face, Kim briefly explained how Val used a sticker with a timer on it to keep him rendered unconscious after her duel with the cursed master. It took her a few times to explain it though; as Ron found himself rather confused by just about everything. (Can you blame him?) Finally, he got it.

"Maybe he realized time was going to run out before you got the MMP back in one or something?" was Ron's guess. "Maybe wanted to come back and lend a helping hand?"

Kim looked surprised. "Not a bad guess for someone who thinks there's no good in him."

Unlike Kim, Ron felt that Val was bad road and he couldn't be turned to the side of light whatsoever. He really couldn't understand why Kim thought otherwise.

Ron quickly shook his head. "I'm not gonna deny the facts and the truth just because of my opinion of the guy. If you say he helped us get back together, I'll take your word for it, KP. I guess change can't be all bad, especially when it's from bad to good."

Kim quickly turned skeptical. "You… _are_ Ron, right?"

He scratched his head. "I think so… What color is the sky?"

"Yellow… wait, why am I the one answering questions? Ron, I should be the one asking _you_ questions."

"EEEHHH," Ron tried to imitate a buzzer. "Wrong, KP. The sky is blue."

"Ron, it's sunset. The sky looks yellow."

"Actually, it's a little more purple than yellow."

"Ron, shut up," she said playfully, "It's yellow. The clouds are purple. The sky is yellow. Why do we need to know this?"

"I don't know," he answered innocently. "You asked."

Kim almost coughed. "_You_ were the one who asked what color the sky was!"

He put both his hands on her shoulders with a big smile on his face. "No need to get all loud, KP… This is Yamanouchi. Ninja school? Ninjas are quiet? El silencio?"

A disgruntled Kim crossed her arms. "You're weird…" but it wasn't long before the annoyed frown soon turned into a smile, "…but I love you."

It was still him, and she was sure of it. But on this thought, Kim realized it might have been a good idea to inform Sensei and Eiji that Ron was back to his former self, but she didn't want to interfere with the ninjas still in training.

They needed a messenger.

The couple's eyes had turned back to Yori, who was still lying nearby trapped in la-la land. However, stars were no longer circling over her head. Birds were instead.

Ron narrowed one of his eyes in confusion. "Don't birds usually fly south in the winter? I guess it makes more sense than stars, though."

Almost as if she heard them call her name, Yori suddenly sat upward in a daze. Her head was tilting from side to side no different than a neck exercise routine.

"Konichiwaaaaaa, Stoppable-saaaaaan…" she said with a giddy smile.

Ron waved his hand in front of her eyes, but she was hardly responsive.

Kim briefly cleared her throat. "Um… Yori, would you mind telling Eiji and Sensei that Ron's finally recovered and back to his normal self?"

"It will be my honor, Possible-saaaaaaan…" Yori answered with a frivolous giggle.

And if the team thought that was scary, they were in for a surprise. All of a sudden, Yori had suddenly levitated in the air, almost like a cartoon character when smelling a pie sitting in the window and following the scent trail, though she was hovering toward the school. There seemed to be an unwritten rule in the cartoons where if one is hovering in the air, you have to be hovering over ground that's directly under you. As Yori would realize, the moment she floated off the edge of the rooftop, she would be sent falling down to the ground below.

Kim and Ron looked away as she hit the ground.

"I'm okay!" Yori immediately assured them, getting on her feet and trying to walk through the forest to the school. She had to use every tree available as leverage.

Ron scratched his head with his available hand, the other wrapped around Kim. "Oh, such a weird day…"

Suddenly, the two heard a scream coming from the forest. It wasn't Yori, but rather a familiar male voice.

"GAH! NOT YOU TOO! I SWEAR THERE'S A SAKE CRAZE GOING ON!"

Eiji. From where Kim and Ron were at, they couldn't see anything that was going on with those two. But it was starting to get dark, as indicated by many torches being lit at the school grounds. Because there were none around the construction site, Kim decided it was time to get back to the temple behind them. It was still too early to sleep, but with all she had to witness with Ron and his personalities, she found herself surprisingly tired. He wasn't all there either, and with many of the things Kim had told him earlier, he needed a good night's sleep on it. Even though there were two separate rooms, assuming that Eiji took Yori back to her room on the school grounds, Kim wanted one where she could sleep right next to Ron. Nothing suggestive. She just wanted to be close to him for the night. A lot of snuggling wasn't exactly out of the question, either.

In a way, Kim couldn't believe how close she kept to Ron the whole time. She never saw herself as the clingy type, or someone who needed to have her arms wrapped around her man the whole time. But it wasn't just because she missed Ron, the guy she loved, but she also didn't have her best friend there for her. She felt so alone without him. And despite Monique visiting Middleton every now and trying to imitate Ron to cool her down, there was no replacement. Worse, her visits were too brief.

Six months of loneliness would do that to you.

By the time the two went back into the medical room with the huge comfortable bed, the sun had already disappeared. Kim could ask for nothing more. Lying on a comfortable bed, safely wrapped in Ron's arms, and a perfect view of the moon and the stars through the window.

She just wanted to be close to him. That was all.

Even though Ron couldn't believe he was seeing this side of Kim again, the whole lovey-dovey mood that she showed on rare occasions, he didn't mind at all.

"I kinda like the short hair…" he suddenly said out of nowhere.

Kim just smiled, wrapping her hands in his. She didn't want to do anything else. She didn't want him to let go.

* * *

He was panting, showing every sign of defeat other than being stained with his own blood. It wasn't simply about delivering a fatal strike. In this blizzard, the slightest cut would have given him instant frostbite, and there was no telling how much it would spread throughout his body if that were the case. It was something both he and Enya knew.

She stood before him appearing no less calm than she did at the beginning of the fight, showing no signs of exhaustion whatsoever unlike her disciple. Yet, one would wonder why she was simply standing there as Val struggled to get on his feet. She could have just killed him. It was the thought that went through his mind as he tried to catch his breath, which was extremely hard to do on a high mountain in the middle of a blizzard.

The fight had been extremely brutal to the two, although victory was in favor of Enya. It was as if she had anticipated everything the entire time. One of the nicknames given to her in her older days was the "Blade Goddess" due to the unorthodox way she fought with swords. She never fought traditionally with the weapons, acquiring a trick that allowed her to spin the blades however she wanted just with a simple movement of her fingers. Many believed she didn't even hold the sword in her hand with how she was able to maneuver them, as she was able to spin the swords so fast that they became like a force field around her. This became so much worse when a former student of the Yamanouchi ninja school, trained to deflect projectile weapons such as shurikens with the same kind of weapon, helped her acquire the trick deflecting just about everything with a sword. She could wield a blade in each hand and simply by using her spinning trick, she could actually deflect every single bullet being fired from a chain gun without breaking a sweat.

Unfortunately for Val, this was one of the techniques he wasn't able to master from her despite her attempts, but he knew enough how to defend himself from it. However, he couldn't touch her at all with his weapon. Every time he tried it bounced back at him as if he hit a steel door with it. The throwback left him wide open for a counterattack, and considering he also taught her everything he knew about martial arts, it resulted in quite the beat down.

She just stood there with pity in her eyes as Val fought to stand up, having to use his sword as leverage to prevent him from collapsing on the snow. She didn't like watching him like this, and while it was clear she was hesitant to kill him, she didn't have much of a choice. He wasn't going to win. She slowly walked toward him with her blade intact, which rose to his chin.

"Forgive me…" she said as she approached, "for the pain you're about to receive…"

And with that, he suddenly leapt at the girl, who would've been taken off guard if not for her swift reaction time. The two had gone at it again, spinning their blades so fast they almost tore the air apart, almost lighting the place on fire with the amount of sparks that went flying. And again they tried to take advantage of the other's openings, using the same moves against each other. Shoulder slam against shoulder slam, which hurt so much the bone pop echoed through the area, almost silencing their painful cries, and this occurred with any other body thrust they performed on each other. With no breaks or rest, the fight waged on.

However, because Val was trained most of his life to be a close-range fighter, not to give his opponent too much room to breathe or move, he was extremely close to Enya, the last girl he should've been close to in a fight. It was because of this that she got a lot of moves in on him. But again he made the mistake, and was the victim of a lethal head butt by his former master. But with how weak and exhausted he was, his vision and other senses were immediately hindered and had staggered.

But unlike before, Enya decided not to hold back. As much as she hated to do it, she thrusted her sword right into Val's stomach.

But the blade didn't puncture. Instead, she couldn't move.

Val managed to move aside and grabbed Enya's wrists without releasing his weapon. He tried to force hers out of her own hands, even if it meant reluctantly trying to twist and sprain not just her wrists, but all ten of her fingers too. But Enya was actually stronger than he was, struggling to free herself and fight back. It went on for some time, and it looked like despite Val's efforts, she would have fought out of it, throwing him off balance and in front of her, which would have left him wide open to be sliced in half.

His grip on her wrists were terribly tight, so much that her both of her hands were almost completely red. Realizing her grip on her weapon was weakening, Enya made a sudden move, thrusting her weapon against Val. And just as he predicted, it threw him off balance.

However, her eyes shot wide open with a gasp, and the sound of a sword blade piercing human skin could be heard over the winds of the blizzard, followed by the weapon being dropped in the snow.

Without thinking, Val ended the fight by disarming his opponent of her weapon, but it wasn't as he intended it.

In this case, it meant amputating his opponent.

He sliced the girl's right hand off.

The blizzard prevented him from seeing anything graphic, but she fell to her knees as she grabbed the part of her arm where her hand used to be. With shock written on his face and uncertain of what to do, Val slowly approached Enya with his weapon still intact. She was breathing heavily and panting as she fought to cease the vast amounts of bleeding. Yet, she showed little pain on her face.

"Congratulations…" she huffed weakly, "You… you win…"

Val actually showed more pain on his face than she did. "Is this really what you wanted?" he asked with trembling lips. He couldn't even look at her.

"It… it is…" she answered with a wheeze, "and nothing more… Thank you…"

He couldn't take it. He turned his back to her, hiding the pain growing on his face. "I won't kill you… I can't…"

However, instead of showing disappointment, Enya let out a weak chuckle and smiled. "It's… too late… Y-You've done enough," she said calmly, "Val… Please… Look…"

And he hesitantly did so, only to see what she had to reveal. She tried to focus his attention where her right hand used to be, still cupped by her left.

But something wasn't right about this at all. Something was fighting to come out, but it wasn't blood. Instead, it was a green acid-like substance of some sort.

It hit him like a bag of bricks.

The girl was a syntho-drone.

"Do… Do you understand now?" she asked weakly. "It all makes perfect sense now… doesn't it?"

Val groaned, fighting to keep his eyes on hers. "I wish I could say I'm surprised… Even after I tried to destroy the last of the advanced drones they resort to obsolete means…"

Enya actually managed to tie her arm in a knot, but it wasn't enough to completely stop the leaking. "Please. Val… Hear me out… I don't have much time left…"

And he did.

"D… Do what you need to do… I can't stop you…" she said, her voice growing more sorrowful by the word. "All I ever wanted was for you to turn yourself around… to live a life free of conflict and abhorrence… though it seems it can't be avoided considering how hard you've tried… but don't let me - an artificial soul that's no more real than artificial memories - decide your fate… that is something I'll allow you decide…V… Please… leave me behind… Don't concern yourself over the past… but move on toward the future…"

"It was the intention the entire time…" he said quietly, "But please tell me… who created you?"

"If I knew… I-I'd tell you…" she honestly replied. "But if you keep concerning yourself with that k-kind of information, you will only allow yourself to be chained to the past… Don't… The world will always be corrupt… it's a fact of life… not even someone like you can change that…"

"I refuse to accept that…"

"Of course…" she chuckled weakly, "I won't tell you what to do with the rest of your life… all I wanted was for you to find happiness one way or the other… You can still go back and turn your life around… b-but it has to be now… Otherwise you will face an existence of endless battle… You will never be able to escape it… You will never be able to find peace within your heart… and no one will be able to save you… P…Please… re… mem… ber… th…is…"

The syntho-drone had lost too much of the fluid that was keeping her alive. Her appearance had drastically changed at this point, now extremely skeletal in her appearance. Although Ryan wouldn't look at her, she hid her face so that he couldn't see her in this condition, her deteriorated existence. Eventually, she showed no signs of life. Her outer shell soon became all that was left of her.

It was over. She was dead.

It didn't feel any different from the last time she was killed. In fact, it was worse. Ryan wasn't proud of what he did or what just happened. He didn't know what to believe. But there was nothing he could do to change anything. It was what she wanted. It was what they wanted. Not allowing himself to see what was left of her, he took a steady grip on the sword that he already had in his hand, Love, and picked up the sword that lay next to her, Lust. Although her weapons of choice three years ago were two swords of the same names, these were not her original weapons, but rather replicas that were only somewhat faithful. Really, it was a miracle that they lasted given their condition. They were ready to shatter any minute, making them useless as tactical weapons. Instead, with closed eyes he placed the swords right next to the remains of the drone in a cross formation. He would let the blizzard do its job in burying her body.

There was no reason to stay here. He had unfinished business elsewhere in the world. Leaving the past behind him, he continued to walk down the mountain.

"Then so be it… The path I choose will be one of eternal conflict… but it doesn't mean anything… I don't have that long to live, anyway…"

Just then, he placed one of his hands in his coat, reaching out for a specific relic that would have instantly transported him toward his destination. However, it wasn't there.

He forgot. Fifteen of the sixteen ancient relics were still at the Tower. He had the last one on him, taken back from Shego, but unfortunately for him, it wasn't the one he wanted. It didn't appear to have a noticeable effect, however. He grunted for a mere moment, regaining his calm the next second. He only continued down the mountain and toward the south coast of the island, wandering through the blizzard in silence, all alone once more.

Nothing would stop him from getting to his destination, even if it meant going by foot.

It was time to return to the Tower, to finish what he had begun.

"This doesn't change anything… it _must_ be done…"

* * *

Morning. The sun rays of dawn slowly entered her room, many blocked off by the wooden doors. It should have been perfect for a peaceful awakening, but such a thing was clearly out of the question.

And it was strange. Considering that she had been mistaken for the girlfriend of Ron Stoppable yesterday, able to see what a taste of passion was truly like, one would think that she'd have the best night of sleep, or she wouldn't sleep at all.

Well, the former had taken place. Somewhat. Hardly.

After Yori had run into Eiji the previous day, given her state of mind he thought it was best to take her back to her room. There, he lit a few essence candles in an attempt to clear her mind and snap her out of her daze. It didn't take long for Yori to become Yori again, embarrassed about the way she had acted earlier. But Eiji understood completely, not being surprised about her crush on Ron, especially when there were pictures of him scattered all over the walls of her room. No wonder she never allowed anyone there.

But sparing him the details, there was something that had been bothering her for some time. She not only asked Eiji to inform Sensei of the news concerning Ron's condition, but also told him that she needed to be alone for the rest of the night. She didn't say this with any resentment in her voice, but she needed to find answers, and alone. Again, he understood, wished her goodnight and headed out to Sensei's quarters to deliver him the good news.

But whatever was bothering her, it made her overwhelmingly concerned, perhaps more than learning about Ron's condition and state of temporary death.

It just didn't make sense to her. She had been standing guard in front of the monkey temple the entire time. The only people she saw enter were Kim, Ron and Rufus. They already knew Monkey Fist was waiting inside, but she just couldn't piece together how Val had gotten in there and escaped without her knowing. The entrance was hardly big enough for Kim and Ron to fit in, let alone Rufus and her bag. She grew more worried about the fact that he had taken the Jade Monkey statues and vanished without a trace.

While she was more skeptical of his motives than Kim the entire time, she didn't want to think he had a dark motive for taking them. But she couldn't shake the fact that she had a really, really bad feeling about this.

So she needed answers. And thankfully for her, she knew how to get them, thanks to a few techniques that Sensei only taught a handful of his students.

Right now Yori was concerned with one thing: finding him. And she would achieve this by the art of meditation. It was the same thing Ron had done nearly two years ago when Ryan had first become a threat and kidnapped Kim, not leaving a trace where he had gone and taken her. However, it didn't often always work, as she was unable to find Ron when he first ran away. But she'd never master the technique if she didn't try. So she had to. After lighting separate essence candles in her room, she cleared all thoughts and freed her mind. But an hour into the night would give her nothing other than abstract images of the world. She didn't want to stop, but if anything had happened the next morning, it was better she have a few hours of sleep behind her back than none at all.

But she had nothing but nightmares for the night, trembling in her sleep and unable to do anything about it. Finally, when the first ray of sunlight tried to enter her room, she instantly woke up, panting and sweating.

She had her answers. But there was no time to stretch, clean up or eat. She had to find Kim and Ron, NOW.

She was out of her room the moment she woke up, sprinting as fast as she could toward the graduation temple. But she was in too much of a hurry, unable to stop when she saw a fellow student walking the corner. She tried to jump aside but it was too late. She tackled whoever it was to the ground.

How convenient. It was Eiji, on his way for early morning training. Hardly concerned that Yori knocked him down, he quickly got up and helped her on her feet.

"Yori-chan, what's th-"

"Eiji-san, this is urgent!" she reluctantly interrupted. "I need you to get breakfast for four of us and prepare the helicopter to leave for the middle of the Atlantic immediately. I'm sorry, but I need to find Kim-san and Ron-san!"

With that she immediately ran off into the forest. Eiji hadn't seen her look this concerned before, so he was going to take it anything but lightly. He quickly went to the cafeteria. If anyone here needed a bite to eat in a hurry, it meant only one thing. Trouble.

She went through the forest in record time. What would take a fifteen-minute walk, she got there in three minutes. She quickly took off her shoes when she entered the temple, and quickly went through the room that Kim had slept in the previous night.

"Possible-san, please get u-"

But she wasn't in there. In a frantic hurry, she checked every room, but the couple was nowhere to be found.

She'd soon find out that they weren't in the temple.

* * *

When it should have been winter, it looked like fall in Yamanouchi with a relaxing morning mist.

It was probably the only time that both Kim and Ron were rise and shine, especially on Ron's part, and the two decided to go out for a morning walk and explore part of the forest together. It wasn't long before they heard the sound of running water, and the two were curious to see what it was.

A small lake. What was oddly familiar about the place is that is resembled the small lake in Belize where Ron got struck by lightning. But this time, the lake wasn't surrounded by rocks, although there was a rock shaped like a cliff, which could've been perfect for diving if not for the shallow water.

But the whole time the two had just sat and snuggled with each other. Sometimes Ron tried to skip some stones on the water, but the rock simply dropped to the bottom. Kim had no trouble doing it, and Rufus actually managed to have a stone skip so much he accidentally hit a duck.

"Sorry!" Rufus cried, but the duck only angrily quacked as it flew away.

The couple just sat and relaxed. Moments like these even before Ron ran away became scarce, not only because they had to save the world, but things like school and work affected not only time but their moods. They didn't have to worry about that or anything else right now…

… 'Now' being the key word.

Suddenly, Ron noticed that something wasn't right. "Is… that what I think it is?"

Kim had to open her eyes, resting her head on Ron's shoulder. "Hmm? What was that, Ron?" She had been awake for about fifteen minutes and had to rub her eyes.

Someone was running across the lake from the other side.

It didn't take them long to realize it was Yori, and by then she already stopped behind them. Both of them were quick to note the urgent look on her face and got on their feet. They were fully alert.

"Yori? What's wrong?" Ron asked her.

"We have to go," she answered. "I know where Ryan-kun is."

Kim seemed a bit alarmed by this. "What? Is he in danger?"

Ron couldn't believe what he just heard. "Wait, how in the world can someone like him be in danger, KP?"

Kim groaned. She only gave Ron a general lowdown of recent events, but spared him many of the details so he wouldn't hurt his head. She failed to mention that Ron nearly killed Val, and if it wasn't for her, monkey boy would have gutted him alive.

Yori stopped them before they had a chance to argue. "Kim-san, Ron-san, please! Listen, I know what he's going to do with the ancient relics he found inside the Jade Monkey statues!"

"Wait, rewind!" Ron interrupted. "Ancient relics? You mean there's MORE?"

"Relics? INSIDE the Jade Monkey statues?" Kim asked.

Yori grabbed their shoulders. "Possible-san, he's going to destroy the world!"

The place went eerily silent right after she said that.

Ron looked frustrated. "Knew it… That guy just can't be trusted!"

But Kim wasn't sure if she could believe it. "What? But…"

Ron grabbed her shoulder. "KP, he played you. The guy's an expert on playing people."

Kim shook her head. "It's not that… It's just… he's done so much to help us out… UGH! I let my emotions get to me and let my guard down again!"

"The guy just has a knack for using our relationship to distract us, Kim. Seems like he does it every other time…" Ron wasn't too thrilled to tell her.

But something still puzzled Kim. "I just don't get it. Why would he suddenly want to destroy the world?"

Ron cut in before she could continue her thought. "Kim, the guy's been complaining about just about everything from society, school, girls and politics. He was bound to lose it sometime."

But she still wasn't sure, and pulled out a small device from her pocket. "I'm going to call Wade on this… He ought to know…"

That said, Kim realized that she hadn't called Wade in days, or updated Monique about Ron's condition since she fought him. But the second she turned it on, the communicator let out a deafening static shriek that had all of them yelling in pain. Kim immediately turned it off. It was just as Jen said. But Kim's concern grew worse.

"Something's wrong… I've got to go to Tokyo and check up on Wade."

"Kim-san, we don't have time." Yori told her. "The longer we stay here, the less time we have of stopping him."

But Kim looked too concerned and somewhat frustrated. She didn't know if she could believe it or not. Another relationship distraction? Something just didn't click.

It took her a moment later to stop thinking, and suddenly looked at Ron and Yori with a serious look on her face.

"All right. I was hoping this wouldn't happen… but if that's true, Yori, then we've got a _serious_ problem on our hands."

That didn't raise Ron's spirits. "And he just couldn't wait until we got settled and everything was bon-diggity between us…" But he noticed that Kim looked extremely serious. "Uh, KP? Don't you usually handle these kinds of situations without a sweat?"

Kim quickly grabbed his shoulders. "Ron, when Drakken, Monkey Fist, Shego, Killigan or Dementor want to take over the world, it's no big and so not the drama, but when Valia Ryan decides he wants to destroy the world, for whatever reason, this is serious big and beyond the drama!"

Realizing the inevitable, Kim tried not to let her personal feelings towards Ryan get in the way, but she couldn't help but feel extreme uncertainty toward this. Even with Ron back, would that be enough? Could she beat him now?

She told herself she could do anything. That's who she was.

"Ron, we're the only ones who can stop him." Kim said with a sudden burst of confidence. "But we've got no time."

But looking at how serious the girls looked, Ron was starting to get even more scared. He hadn't seen either of the girls this serious before. But he too had to brush away his fears.

"I'm in this with you to the end, KP."

The three of them were running through the forest toward where the helicopter was parked, with Yori leading the way. Despite her advanced ninja training, the other two had no problem keeping up with her.

"Yori!" Kim hollered. "Where exactly is Val, anyway?"

"He's currently heading toward a remote island in the middle of the Atlantic Ocean!" Yori answered. "From what I was able to tell, it rose to the surface when he took off with the Jade Monkey statues!"

"Monkey… why am I not surprised that when the world comes to an end, the word 'monkey' is somehow involved?" Ron asked.

The three had reached the helicopter, still parked behind the temple but ready for take off. Eiji was standing there with Kim's bag along with a bag full of food so the three could eat on the way over. He didn't look too excited.

"Yori-chan, we have a problem," he said.

"What is it, Eiji-san?"

"We weren't able to completely fill the helicopter up with gas," he answered. "There's enough so that we don't have to worry about crashing in the water, but I'll need to stop in America and refuel." He was clearly the pilot for today. He then opened the hatch door, put Kim's bag near one of the seats, and leapt in.

Yori immediately followed. "Hurry!"

Kim quickly grabbed Ron's hand, dragging him so fast that Rufus nearly flew out of his pocket. When they were all inside, Kim closed the door. The helicopter slowly rose off the ground, and once it was high enough, it flew away toward the ocean.

* * *

Dust and Ice. The abandoned lab looked just as deserted and lifeless as it was before, although the front door had been completely obliterated. Huge mountain rocks and metal bars stood in its place, but didn't seem to be as effective as the original door. They were moving, and not because of the winds outside.

Finally, they stopped. And just then, a huge explosion knocked them out of place, clearing the way for an unknown visitor.

A man wielding a tiny laser gun.

"Hello?"

He welcomed himself in, nearly stubbing his toe on one of the rocks.

"Is anybody here? Anyone mind if I come in…"

He took out a flashlight and moved it around, looking for anything that moved that wasn't smoke, dust, flickering lights or electric sparks.

"Sheeeeegooooo!"

It was none other than the blue man in the blue suit with a mullet to boot. Drakken. He heard his voice echo throughout the place, waiting for a response. He didn't get one. Going further into the lab, there seemed to be a little more light, but the place looked more than abandoned. It looked like it was destroyed. Broken glass was everywhere, computer monitors and towers that looked burnt, grated ceiling tiles hung from the building. One almost fell on him. But he just continued to wave his flashlight, looking for his former sidekick. He saw a computer that was active, but that wasn't what he was looking for.

"Listen, uh, Shego… I don't mean to intrude on your decorating plans… and wow, do you need them… But I noticed that you stopped returning all my calls and I was wondering if you were okay… I mean, I don't mind that you quit… but I wanted to know if we were still tight…"

He continued to step over pieces of rock and shattered glass. If he had paid attention to where he was stepping, he would have noticed that there was blood on some of the glass shards.

"And… I'm sorry if you felt I held you back… but…"

That's when a light bulb from the ceiling fell down from the ceiling. It was right in front of him, too far away to hurt him, but as his eyes followed the bulb, that's when he noticed several drops of blood on the floor. It looked like a trail.

Fearing the worst, he took a steady grip on his laser gun and decided to play it quiet, trying to listen for anything suspicious. But the only thing he could hear were weak electrical cracks and flickering lights. Following the trail, and seriously hoping it didn't belong to who he think it belonged to. Drakken was a snake, silent, sneaky and just as lethal.

He soon found the torture bed. In that same instant, a flashlight and laser gun hit the ground as Drakken let out a loud startled gasp.

It was on that torture bed that he found none other than Shego, almost completely soaked in her own blood from head to toe, suffering from extremely deep cuts all over her body. Furthermore, her new jumpsuit was almost torn entirely to shreds. She was anything but conscious, and Drakken, whose mind suddenly went numb, slowly advanced toward her, uncertain if he was actually seeing what he was seeing. All over the torture room appeared to be several burn marks, the result of an electrical overload, but he didn't see any on Shego's body. But what caught his attention was how torn up her jumpsuit was, and this wasn't just a few scratches. Most of her bleeding was the direct result of several, several deep cuts, but notably they were in a pattern, five in a row. But so much of it was done that there was almost nothing left of the jumpsuit.

A certain word came to mind of what might have happened here, and he truly hoped with what was left of his heart that this wasn't the case. If anyone had violated Shego in such a way…

Strangely enough, upon further inspection Drakken noticed that Shego's suit seemed to be torn and ripped everywhere except for the chest and waist portions, completely untouched. But he still couldn't understand how any of this happened. But it might not have mattered exactly how and where she suffered these severe injuries.

Because she wasn't moving.

"S-Shego?"

But in that same instant, Drakken lost the ability to breathe, feeling an intense pain wrapped around his neck. He was quickly losing air and gagged for it. But trying to look down, he was being choked by one who possessed green glowing eyes that were literally flaming. Drakken nearly wet himself.

Shego was very much alive, and was ready to blow.

"You…" she weakly moaned, "Y… You're not Ryan...! YOU'RE NOT RYAN!"

"Ryan?" Drakken asked with surprise. "_He_ did this to you?"

But Shego didn't seem to recognize her former boss. "If you're not him… then get OUT OF MY FACE!"

Realizing she wasn't choking the person who did this to her, she hurled her former boss out of the room. It could've been worse for Drakken if the windows hadn't been destroyed. Surprised that she didn't seem to recognize him, or care, he watched as Shego was starting to remember everything, becoming so enraged she was panting and nearly foaming at the mouth. In this rage, she suddenly let out a huge, long and loud enraged scream as she tried to free herself from the bed.

And without having to resort to her plasma powers, all three of the clamps flew right off. She was huffing with pure insanity, hardly able to stand upright. She quickly noticed how ravaged her suit looked and became even more enraged, letting out another furious scream as she stormed out of the room.

"**I'm gonna** **_KILL HIM!"_**

Drakken was too afraid to say a word, but it was too late, anyway. Shego was already long gone by the time he got onto his feet. Drakken didn't know what to think with what he just saw.

"What did he _do_ to you?"

He was desperate to find an answer, never once thinking he'd ever see Shego in such pain. Just then, something in the room quickly caught his eye - a peculiar looking light on the ceiling. This one stood out as it was black, too black to be one of the other lights.

It was a camera.

But just as he wondered if anything here still worked, he remembered the working computer he passed by on the way in. He quickly tried to stumble over there, but the place was like an obstacle course with all the junk and remains of these ruins. After losing his balance several times and nearly falling, Drakken managed. And just as he thought, the computer had recorded everything that had occurred in that room hours ago.

So he sat and watched…

But not a minute passed before he grew sick in his stomach, instantly becoming enraged to the point where he threw his fist at the monitor and completely obliterated it. With his mind in shambles, he quickly dropped to his knees, losing the ability to think. It wasn't because of how Shego looked, but it was what she had to endure that numbed his mind. There was actually someone out there who was capable of rendering Shego absolutely helpless, and nearly killed her by an unusual mean of torture.

It might have been a brutal mistake to keep Shego alive. She was out for some serious vengeance.

But could she find him? Where was she headed for?

Kim Possible. Ron Stoppable. Yori. Shego. Valia Ryan.

The race for the Tower was on.

And right now, the helicopter that just flew past the coast of Japan had a five thousand mile disadvantage against the other two.


	27. 26: Hallucinative Discharge

Well, that wasn't supposed to happen! Really, I truly didn't expect for this story to go on a… five-month hiatus at all. You see, I uploaded the previous chapter the first day of my fall classes, and I just worked my butt off so hard that I had absolutely no time to work on the story (Having to make a commercial for the college to go on local TV, making four video games in a design class with my partner not showing up in class with one, and math). Having writer's block didn't help matters any, either. But depending on your opinion of the story, you can either raise your fist and say "hoowah" or raise your fist and punch yourself in the groin, because it's back online and I intend to finish it.

I gotta apologize to everyone who's read this story (all five or six of you, maybe I gained a number or two) who had been anticipating the latest chapter in the story, but the hiatus was anything but planned. I was hoping by now that the story would be finished, but life's life, I guess. I intend to finish this story not only to get it out of my head once and for all, but I didn't want anyone reading this story to be left hanging… Well, I guess it's a bit late for that, but I didn't want anyone to be left hanging forever. Things that lack closure (coughanimecough) drive me nuts, so I'm sure it drives some others nuts, too. And sorry for any PMs that went unanswered. I've already spoiled one person, I can't spoil any more!

Something else wasn't planned, but I'm sure it'll come as no surprise – this chapter's also split into two. I really thought everything you read here would be just a couple of paragraphs long, then onto everyone's least favorite part of the story, the final villain rant that'll make everyone want to assassinate me or something to that effect. But that comes next chapter with a huge disclaimer. So the more sensitive readers should watch out.

Ever wonder if there's such a thing called too much detail? That's exactly what this chapter is to me. Slow, long, little to no excitement, not exactly advancing so much in the plot except for one or two more crucial things, and anything but uplifting. I blame it on not writing for so long and not being in the writing groove. My KP fandom can't go dry! Here's hoping the phrase 'to each his/ her own' applies here!

Anyone even remember this story exists? Maybe in a few years someone who was reading it will stumble upon it again!

Enough sarcastic yapping. Let's go!

**Chapter 26: Hallucinative Discharge**

* * *

The earth couldn't have given her a darker omen of things to come. A beautiful sunset secluded by orange skies and brown clouds, like the sun had set the earth ablaze and let its smoke fill the sky. But this wasn't smoke, and the earth wasn't on fire. In fact, nothing was out of the ordinary, but the sight of everything was almost enough to send chills up her spine.

It was actually the winds that had done that to her instead, flying over the ocean as fast as her rocket pack would allow. Kim had done this hundreds of times, though she wasn't as well-equipped to handle the cold weather as she usually was. She was in too much of a hurry, so much that she hadn't said a word the entire flight, almost void of any emotion. But she hadn't lost herself completely, turning her head every now and then to make sure her comrades were still behind her.

Ron had been flying behind her the whole time wearing his own rocket pack, but since Yori wasn't equipped with such equipment, Ron had the 'honor' of carrying her the entire time. You could hold a child in your arms for so long before your arms get tired and you have to put them down, but Ron didn't have that option available to him. He could only hope that their destination would come into view, and fast. But with how quiet Kim had been for the last several minutes, he was actually afraid to ask her to help.

From the moment they left the coast of Japan, Kim had been worried about the distance disadvantage against Valia. They needed to get to the island in the Atlantic as soon as they could. And while they were in Japan, Valia had started out from Greenland; a difference of approximately 5,000 miles in his favor. But all wasn't lost. While riding the helicopter, it dawned on Kim that they had a ride, and based on what Yori told her, Valia didn't seem to have any means of vehicle transportation like they did. He might have had the advantage in distance, but they had the advantage in speed. They still had a chance.

That's what she thought, anyway.

Unfortunately, their trip across the world took much longer than any of them had anticipated. Eiji was forced to take the plane down many times to refuel, and the process took longer than he thought it would. But Kim didn't have the patience to wait, growing anxious by each passing second. Usually when she needed to be somewhere else in a hurry, she'd have Wade find another ride for her. But she had no means of contacting him; the communicator Jen gave her wound up being destroyed by the high-pitched static shrieks it made every time it was used. Not only that, but she also couldn't go to the nearest airport and request a ride, not when wanted posters were just about everywhere. Even worse, it wasn't just policemen and federal officials looking for her. Anybody interested in the reward money was also on the lookout for her; everyone from businessmen, delivery boys, taxi drivers, construction workers, painters, probation officers… heck, even a priest and a monk. Of course, the insanely high price of the reward money was too good to be true for many, most of them being loyal and faithful to Kim knowing what she did for people. But when you had thousands drooling over the money, sadly, it didn't matter much. Fortunately, Kim still had a disguise in her bag, but she was still forced to keep low. Although there was a better chance of her being proven innocent than the time the hunt for her capture began, she didn't have the time for any of it. Because of this, she was forced to keep low, and without Wade's assistance, she was forced to wait it out until the ninja helicopter's fuel tank was full. Usually when she traveled across the world, it only took her hours, and most times not even that.

The trip across America took well over a day.

But when Eiji was forced to refuel again around the Atlantic coast, Kim couldn't wait a moment longer, and took out the rocket packs from her bag. She would have done this much sooner if not for the risk of being seen, but now, even if she was, she was too close to her destination to care. She was going to go on ahead, but not without Ron, Rufus and Yori. Eiji couldn't leave the plane as it was, so he hesitantly chose to stay behind. The others were already gone before he could wish them luck.

They probably needed it…

It couldn't be hidden, though. Kim was tense. All of them were. Kim couldn't believe how much time they had lost on the trip, and it was probably more than enough to give Valia complete advantage. And even now, for every second that passed, Ryan would be a step closer to his destination, and closer to destroying the world. While she didn't know how he was going to do it, as none of them did, if what Yori claimed was the truth and considering what he was capable of, there was reason to be afraid. If one person could pull off the beginning of the end, whether or not she intervened, it was him.

That's exactly what made Yori afraid. While she didn't know all the details, she had seen enough to know what peril the world faced. Like Kim, she didn't want to believe it when she first saw it, but the nightmare was just too much to pass off. Even now, she couldn't get everything she had seen out of her mind. The torturous screams of death, blood, fire, and what she believed to be the nightmarish things Valia had seen throughout his life, possibly establishing some kind of mental link with him. Knowing this, she attempted to establish another one, but with no success. Instead, she wound up with an instant and grinding headache. She knew something was seriously wrong, and would stop at nothing to ensure that her nightmare would never become a reality.

Then there was Ron. The ever-so lucky Ron Stoppable. Lucky to be afraid of practically everything, yet fought and escaped death on a regular basis. Lucky to know so little of martial arts to suddenly learn he was destined to become the martial arts prodigy, the mystical monkey master. Lucky (or probably unlucky) to have two girls in love with him. And just recently, lucky to be back on his feet and recovering from a cursed state that almost took his life.

He was anything but the luckiest guy in the world right now. That's what he told himself, anyway, no thanks to the current situation.

The timing couldn't be worse for him. Just when he recovers from a cursed state, just after he finds out he's been gone for six months and can't remember a thing, just after he almost died from transforming from a monster back into a human, just as he wakes up from a brief coma, he's already forced to dive back into action. But no, it couldn't be against Drakken or Shego, not against Monkey Fist or the Seniors. Oh no… It just had to be against Valia Ryan, the last person Ron or anyone else on the planet wanted to wake up to. He would've preferred to stay in a coma for another week.

But because he had never seen both Kim and Yori tense and afraid at the same time, two of the toughest girls he had ever met, it was no surprise that he was also scared. It didn't help that Kim was dead silent throughout the flight, not when every other time they flew over the ocean they'd talk about school, family or weekend plans. He only saw her like this when she had too much on her mind. He hated seeing her like this.

Everything should have been all over by now. Ron was saved from his cursed state and now had the full Mystical Monkey Powers in his body. After recovering from his coma, all she had to do was pick up Wade from Tokyo, and based on the information Sean told her, find out who or what Lexis was and what it had to do with her fugitive status. That'd be cake for Wade to figure out, and once that puzzle was solved, everything should've been back to normal. She could go back home and live a normal college life with Ron again.

But just as luck would have it, everything wasn't going to end so easily. Instead, after he helped her out so much on this journey, Valia was going to destroy the world. Kim just couldn't believe it, but seeing how serious and concerned Yori was, she couldn't have been making it up. She didn't want to believe it, not about someone who actually gained her trust, someone she might have now considered a comrade or even a friend, someone she felt eternally grateful to for helping her find and save the one person she couldn't live without. She just couldn't make sense of it.

She just didn't know what to make of the whole thing. Why would he destroy the world? Well, perhaps that wasn't the right question. Kim could think of reasons, but she didn't know what would push him to actually do such a thing. She could remember all the times she fought him; personal duels, theft, the fact that he was wanted in several countries and counting, and she tried to help put him in jail. Although he had threatened to destroy much of the world using nuclear weapons when they clashed in Jen's hometown, he faked it. Instead it was an attempt to expose a few name politicians who Val knew to be a threat against humanity and the future, and he was successful in doing so. Unfortunately, Kim didn't anticipate that it would affect her life later down the road.

There were also many things he had done that she was aware of, but she couldn't get near him in time to stop him. Most of it involved the underworld of crime; drug lords, weapons dealers, and gangsters, both of organized crime and street pawns. Being the confrontational being he was, he found himself picking all kinds of fights with these people. While anybody else would have been found dead with concrete boots, deemed unrecognizable by being tied to a car and dragged on a highway, or had their friends and families killed, Val often left his enemies a hair strand away from death. Kim didn't really like the whole thing, either because she didn't agree with such brutal methods, or because by the time she got there, he was long gone and left her with enough beaten bodies to fill up an eighteen-wheeler or two. At the least. Trying to explain it to the police and media wasn't her idea of fun.

Although it wasn't something Kim liked to think, she had to admit that everyone he nearly killed was… well… bad. Really bad. These weren't people who sold drugs to pay the rent, joined organized crime to get the money for their sister's operation, or robbed a store because they were pressured by their 'friends' to do it. These were people who would kill someone and their entire family because they didn't like their face, shot up places with the intent of maximum casualties for recognition, tossed anyone into wood chippers because of what color shirt they wore, and not head-first. Those who only thirsted blood and were only pleasured by killing the innocent. They would have Kim's family killed slowly and painfully - and would force her to watch - if she ever set foot on their front door even if she was lost. But she was usually too busy helping someone trapped on a mountain or lost at sea to get involved. But just because Valia left them alive didn't mean he left them in a condition to ever recover, another reason why Kim couldn't agree with his methods. However, as much as she knew, she didn't know the true extent of it…

Something wasn't right about any of this at all. There was a lot more to this than simply destroying the world. Nothing he did could ever be so clear and simple.

And he couldn't have picked a better time to execute it. The thought alone frustrated her. It wasn't the first time that he pulled off something when she was occupied with Ron. Often he used it to his advantage, and it was the reason he was usually a step ahead of everyone and got away with so much. But Kim didn't know how to feel. Duped? Betrayed? Used? The timing of it all so just too much. Could it have been coincidence, or did he actually somehow manage to plan this out, knowing Kim would be far too concerned with Ron to stop him? Unfortunately, if there was someone capable of planning out such a thing, it was him. Could he have planned everything with precise timing?

No. A clear and decisive no. Kim just couldn't convince herself to believe otherwise.

Normally in her hero work, the plans of those she fought were crystal clear to her. She knew it all; exactly what they were doing, how they were going to achieve it, and why (although most of the time it was obvious or it'd be explained to her in the form of a villain rant). Although she didn't know all the facts, she knew enough to know that he had no malicious intent against her. He didn't have to help her find Ron at all. It could've just been an empty promise to throw her off again. But he did. Maybe he stuck around afterward because of that mysterious girl, but he gave her the coordinates to the Yamanouchi Ninja School, Enya's camouflage clothes (which actually held the most sentimental value to him), and a weapon to take on the cursed Ron. He even kept him constrained until he almost regained his human form. Whatever he was up to, whatever his true agenda was, it had little or nothing to do with her at all. She couldn't explain why, but she knew it to be true.

Still, ally or not, if what Yori said was the truth, then he had to be stopped no matter what. But a sick feeling in her stomach told her that they wouldn't be the first to arrive on the island. She was almost certain they were already too late.

Suddenly, Kim's depressing thoughts were disrupted when she heard Yori gasp.

"Possible-san!" the ninja girl yelled, "There it is!"

Yori pointed in the direction of an island south of where they were flying, causing Ron to almost drop her. Kim saw it, but made no sign of acknowledging it other than changing direction.

The visibility had grown worse as they approached the island, as if the clouds were accumulating there. Anybody else wouldn't be able to distinguish it from a ship lost at sea. Although they couldn't make out a lot of the island's details thanks to the fog, they could make out the shape of the island, and what appeared to be a round-shaped mountain formation in the middle of it. Definitely not a product of Mother Nature.

Kim kept her eyes peeled over the waters for Val or any traces he might have left behind, but before she knew it they were already getting close to shore. Realizing this, she instantly turned off her rocket pack and released her parachute to land. However, just as her feet were about to touch the sand, the wind picked up without warning and sent her past the beach and straight into the jungle regions of the island. Feeling the sudden rush of the wind, she crossed her legs in front of her and put her arms over her face in preparation for the worst. After she was sent through several branches and leaves, the human wrecking ball released herself from the chute and landed safely on a muddy trail.

If only the same could be said for poor Ron.

He attempted to pull off the exact same thing Kim did, but he had two problems. Problem One: the power switch on the rocket pack was jammed thanks to an old soda stain. He flew right past the beach, and seeing no need to hang on any longer, Yori released herself from his grip and slid right on the sand, landing safely but completely oblivious to Ron's crisis.

"Um… I could use a little help here!" Ron cried as he frantically tried to unjam the switch. Finally, he was able to get the button in and turn off the rocket pack.

And that's where Problem Two comes into play. When he pulled the cord to release his parachute, nothing happened. Ron didn't even need to think to know what was going to happen next. Parachute doesn't work. Jungle at twelve o'clock. Still flying ahead at full speed with nothing to slow him down.

"WAAAAAAHHHHHHH-"

He was already eating leaves before he could finish his cry for help. If only it were the first time it happened.

Kim was instantly alerted by the sound of something crashing and plowing through the trees, as if a plane had tried to land in the middle of the jungle. Her eyes followed the sound of wreckage and destruction until it ended with a huge explosion of leaves far ahead. Realizing that her comrades weren't immediately behind her, Kim quickly turned around to see what became of them. Yori was running to catch up with her, but Ron was nowhere to be seen. That's when Kim quickly turned around and ran toward the direction of the boom.

"Ron!"

And that was when Yori realized what happened to him and followed Kim. It didn't take them long to find him, and while it wasn't exactly a pretty sight, both girls couldn't help but be amused.

They found him hanging upside down from the tree, arms crossed and in his underwear. The parachute finally came out long after he crashed into the jungle, getting caught in the tree branches. It was enough to yank the backpack right off of Ron, but instead of coming off from his arms, it went south instead, yanking his pants right down to his ankles. The wires and cords from the parachute left him dangling from the tree.

"You okay, Ron?" Kim asked him as she pulled out a pocket knife.

His response came in the form of spitting out leaves with a disgruntled look written all over his face. So much for a stylish entrance. But Kim didn't get at him for messing up. It was somewhat relieving to see something she hadn't seen in six months, but the situation prevented her from giggling. She was careful in cutting the cords and making sure Ron didn't fall on his head, being more careful than usual in getting him on his feet. Once he was on the ground, she patted all the dirt and leaves off of him, making sure he didn't receive any bruises or cuts. But before Ron could tell her that he was fine, she had already seen enough to know he was fine, grabbed his hand, and darted off toward the center of the island. It happened so fast that Ron almost lost his footing and got dragged in the mud. Yori immediately followed.

"Sorry, Ron," Kim apologized with an uneasy look on her face, "but we don't have any time left."

Ron just groaned. "You know, I really hate this guy's timing. I really do."

"I know you do, Ron," Kim said with a frustrated look on her face. "I just wish things didn't have to turn out like this."

Refusing to slow down or let go of Ron's hand, Kim ran as fast as she could through the jungle.

* * *

The rush through the jungle seemed to be going nowhere. Without a map and unable to see what laid ahead, Kim was beginning to wonder if they were getting lost. Nothing but more trees could be seen ahead, with several rocks and fallen tree branches blocking the way.

That wasn't all. As she ran through the mud and jumped over the obstacles in her way, Kim realized she was having a hard time grasping things. Sometimes things appeared blurry, her mind drifted toward Ryan's intentions instead of where she was going, and her head was really starting to hurt. And to make matters worse, there was something in the air that affected the visibility of the jungle, either fog or mist. Not what she needed.

'_Now's so not the time to get stressed out, Kim…'_ she told herself. _'You've got a world to save.'_

It wasn't long before her mind started drifting toward the pain in her head. It was only getting worse, and soon her entire body was feeling weak. Could she have been exhausted? Tired? Dehydrated? It felt like all the above, but there was no reason for her to feel this way. She had plenty of rest and plenty to eat and drink on the way over. It had to have been the air in the jungle. It was so hot and the air was so dry. Something was making her head hurt, but she didn't know exactly what it was.

Had she looked behind her, she would have seen that she wasn't the only one suffering from these symptoms.

Whatever the case, Kim knew this wasn't going to help her, so she grabbed a water bottle she strapped onto her belt and sucked it down. Shortly after she finished the bottle, a strange scent hit the air. It didn't smell good, but it wasn't really morbidly disgusting either. Not recognizing it, she just kept moving. Maybe she was just exhausting herself.

And that's when it suddenly came to view. Entranced by the very sight of it, everyone stopped dead in their tracks.

"Whoa…" Ron said. "Is that…?"

"It's gotta be…" Kim answered.

A tall, leaning, round-shaped gray rock with the exact same unusual carvings and design that Kim had seen in the Genesis Chamber some time back. It had an extremely ancient look to it, also like the chamber, but it looked like it had been buried under the earth for thousands of years and had just surfaced. While the Genesis chamber was a pitch black room illuminated by neon blue lights, this place was just ancient rock void of any life.

Like she had been put under a spell, Yori took a few steps forward. "That's it…" she said, "That's what I saw in the dream… The Tower…"

Ron took a few steps ahead of his ninja friend, so intrigued by the look of the place he was analyzing it probably more than he should have. "So Val's going to destroy the world from something shaped like an egg?" he asked himself. "Who else has done that? Has anyone else done that?"

Kim was quick to walk past the two of them, squinting her eyes to get a better look at it. "It doesn't seem to be active… You don't think… Maybe he's not here just y-"

That's when something under her foot cracked, echoing in the sudden silence.

Looking down, Kim saw that she had stepped on something that looked like blue stained glass. Fairly puzzled, she went in low to examine the mysterious shard only to have everybody else look over her shoulder for a closer look. None of them had seen anything like it before. Textured and shiny, it appeared to be some kind of broken and sharp crystal, one that had so many dark yet beautiful colors to it. It fit perfectly in her hand.

While the teenagers appeared to be confused as to what this was, Rufus had climbed onto Ron's shoulder to take a look himself, but looking ahead he saw something else.

"Hey!" he yelled as he pointed ahead. "Look!"

That's when the crystal Kim held fell out of her hands and hit a rock, shattering on impact.

"Oh… this is so not good…" she quietly said to herself.

The road ahead was full of these things, shattered and scattered throughout the area. The team found themselves on a separate trail, and based on how these crystals were scattered, it led straight to the Tower. That wasn't all. This new path had as many footprints as there were of these shattered crystals.

Kim already had a feeling who they belonged to. She quickly went in to investigate, but was quick to note that not all of them were the same. In fact, many of them appeared to be heading toward the coast of the island _from_ the Tower, and it appeared to be two people. The footprints looked days old thanks to a rainstorm, long before the appearance of these crystals. But the most suspicious thing was that the shape and size of the prints appeared to be rather… feminine.

Someone came to mind, but considering Kim hadn't seen her former arch-rival in over a year, and doubting the chance that she was involved in any of this, she was quick to axe that thought.

That's when she saw a third footprint different than the other two, one that that was still wet and even had traces of ice in it. Much larger than the other footprints, it definitely belonged to a guy, and they appeared to be going toward the Tower unlike the others. Kim could only think of one person who fit the shoe.

Valia was already here. He was definitely here. Unfortunately, it was anything but unexpected.

That wasn't the only discovery that was made. While Kim went to investigate the footprints, Yori continued to examine the shattered crystal shards spread throughout the region. Because they had been broken and shattered, not one was the same, nor appeared to have a recognizable shape to it.

That is, except for one.

"Possible-san! Stoppable-san!" Yori called, "Please, come look at this!"

Hearing her, Kim quickly got up and ran towards where Yori was. "He's already here…" she said with a voice that was anything but enthusiastic.

"Yes, I know," Yori responded, tilting her head toward Rufus.

In his hands was a crystal shaped like a feather.

Ron quickly rubbed his eyes. "Don't tell me Val summoned some kind of blue crystal bird thing and used it to fly over here."

Kim quickly shook her head as she crossed her arms. "Let me guess, he had wings… wings entirely made out of these things, and flew here."

Bamboozled was the perfect word to describe Ron, looking at Kim like she was crazy. When was the last time KP believed in the supernatural? Almost never. But before he could say anything, Yori had something on her mind, something straight out of her nightmare.

"Yes…" Yori confirmed for them, clenching her eyes tightly. "I remember now… I saw him with glowing and shining blue wings like an angel…" A distorted one. Her head was already hurting from the atmosphere of the place, and she only tried to think more. "He… flew over the ocean… but I don't know how he acquired these 'wings'…"

Ron quickly made a cross formation with his arms. "Whoa, don't make this so hard on the Ron man so early! Time out, chicas! You're saying that Val had _wings_ made out of these blue crystal thingies, and was actually able to _fly_ in them?" Then he looked at Kim. "And you're not going to say it's a bunch of baloney and say that it's really something else?"

Kim only shook her head. "Believe it or not, Ron, I totally think she's right. Out of everything I've seen these past couple of weeks, picturing Val with wings… just isn't that surprising."

"Even if they're made out of these shiny blue crystals?"

"Even that."

"Fur?"

"Not really."

Ron scratched his head in thought. "What if they were made entirely out of cheese and Diablo Sauce?"

Kim almost sucked her lips in. "Now you're just pushing it, mister."

Ron chuckled nervously. "Sorry, KP. Just wanted to make sure I didn't lose you."

Kim would have smiled if her attention wasn't elsewhere. With her focus pinned to the ground, she continued to observe these strange wing remnants. The trail of these crystal-like remains didn't seem to last long, but the footsteps certainly did. "Looks like he tried to fly as far as he could before they gave out…" A likely and accurate conclusion.

"I agree…" Yori said as she tried to remember anything else she might've seen in her dream. "How he gained that ability, I'm just not certain… He… He didn't fly as fast as a bird…"

Silence.

…

Ron counted to ten with his fingers, but before he could open his mouth to make sure Yori didn't suddenly shut down on them, Kim quickly put her hand over it to let Yori concentrate.

"He appeared to have been severely weakened earlier…" she continued, "But… the flying itself also must have weakened him… he had to stop many times to regain his energy…" That was all she could remember.

Kim rubbed her forehead. "But that info doesn't do us any good if he's already here…"

Yori shook her head in disagreement. "It does if there's the possibility that he hasn't been here for very long. Don't you see, Possible-san? He might have just gotten here shortly before we did. We may still have a chance."

Kim was skeptical, but Yori appeared to be confident in her thoughts. She could only hope that she was right.

"We must hurry," the ninja told Team Possible.

Kim nodded in agreement, then quickly turned around and ran towards the Tower with Yori right behind her. But before Ron and Rufus could get any ideas on what he could do with all these crystal shards, how much blingage they could be worth and have Bueno Nacho for breakfast, lunch and dinner everyday for the rest of his life, Kim came right back and grabbed her man, and his pet grabbed onto him just in time to avoid being left behind.

Not like he'd find any use for them, anyway. Soon after they ran off, the crystal remains started to crack and quickly disintegrated into nothing but dust.

* * *

Although the Tower could be clearly seen from where they all were, it would still take everyone a while to reach it. Kim continued to lead the way, now following the trail that Valia had left behind. But like Kim, he was also following someone else's trail, namely the female footprints. And it definitely wasn't a scenic route. Everything was looking worse with the step. The mist or fog continued to make the path ahead difficult to see, and despite the dryness of the air, the mud felt swampy and the whole area just reeked thanks to some plants. The stench was so strong that everyone had to try to hold their breath or pinch their noses to avoid retching.

As they got closer, the disgusting strong smell had dissipated, the visibility had gotten better and the dirt was no longer muddy. But there weren't just scenic changes. There were small blotches of dried blood along the path, as if someone had been bleeding profusely on and off earlier. Much earlier. Their path soon led them to the outskirts of the jungle and toward what looked like some desolate desert-like wasteland. Although there were still many trees, most of which were dying or had cracked leaves, the air had become so dry that the entire place had a dead feeling to it. The dirt was cracked and the sky had a smoky yellow color to it. If you told Kim that under the surface were endless dinosaur skeletons and remains, she wouldn't be surprised one bit. They were getting close.

And unfortunately, the throbbing headache they were all suffering from didn't get any better.

"I swear, this is like going to Mount Doom. Only without Mount Doom." Ron commented.

Kim couldn't believe she was going to say it, but she did. "And yet, somehow that makes perfect sense…"

"It does, doesn't it?" Yori asked.

Rufus nodded. "Mmm-hmm."

A more accurate depiction would describe the area of the island being like a desolate planet with minimal life seen in 50's cartoons, classic sci-fi novels or movies. At least, that's what the place felt like. But they were all anything but energetic. They felt drained, tired, and exhausted for no reason. They had to slow down a few times to gain their breath and for Ron to catch up, but it couldn't have been exhaustion. It would take more than this to stop them, though.

Their journey through the island soon came to an end when they found themselves a few hundred feet away from their target. But for a place called the Tower, it wasn't very tall. Like Ron described it, it was egg-shaped, and as Kim had observed earlier, it had the strange abstract and curved ancient carvings all over it. What she didn't see earlier however was a huge crack at the bottom that served as an entrance of sorts. The sight of the odd structure was so mesmerizing that both Kim and Yori stopped just to look at it. Neither of them had seen anything like it before.

Suddenly, the girls heard a loud thud from behind them.

Kim almost immediately slouched her shoulders. "Ron, we're almost there, okay?"

He didn't answer.

"Ron?"

Hearing no response from him, both girls immediately turned around.

"S-… Stoppable-san?"

He had completely collapsed on his face just as Kim thought he did, but he was completely unresponsive. Rufus appeared to be alerted by the fall, and got out of his pocket and tried to shake Ron around for a response. He gave both girls a worried look. Nothing.

Something was wrong.

Kim's heart nearly skipped a beat as her eye twitched. Fearing the worst, she immediately ran off toward them.

'_This can't be happening… This isn't funny, Ron… No… Please no… Not right now… Not right now…!'_

Kim even went so far as to dive toward Ron so she'd reach him faster. Getting to him, she quickly pulled his face out of the dirt and laid him on his back, but the expression on his face nearly made her tremble. He was pale. Extremely pale.

"Ron? What's wrong?" Kim asked him. "Ron? Ron! Say something!"

Ron was also sweating intensely, trembling and twitching all over with nothing but pain written all over his face. It looked like he was trying to answer Kim, but something was preventing him from speaking. He looked like he was choking on something, something deep in his chest. He was trying to scream, but he couldn't breathe, either, acting no differently than someone suffering a serious asthma attack. None of this stopped him from trying to communicate with Kim, but it looked like he was in far too much pain to speak. Instead, his efforts had him salivating intensely like a mad dog. Soon, he wasn't the only one sweating.

Kim had absolutely no idea what to do. Without Ron able to tell her exactly what was happening to him, she quickly grew into a panic. And if that wasn't bad enough, Ron coughed out something that almost made Kim go pale.

Blood.

Yori was just as surprised as Kim was, putting her hands over her mouth in shock. Kim desperately tried everything she could think of to get Ron to breathe properly, but he wasn't getting any better. Yori checked his heartbeat and pulse, which was completely unstable. At times his heart rate was extremely intense, and other times it was fatally weak.

Kim on the other hand started hyperventilating, but instead of seeing sadness in her eyes, she was enraged. And with that, she let out a loud angry scream that must've been heard from the coast of the island.

"This can't be happening!" Kim yelled. "We removed the cursed powers from his body! He should've been cured! We did everything we were supposed to do!"

Kim grunted, squinting her eyes so hard tears came out. She didn't know what to think. If anything critical happened to Ron, she didn't know if she could go through it again. It was hard enough the first time he nearly died. And the timing… The timing for all of this couldn't have been any worse. She had a world to save, but what was more important? The world or Ron? This was the last thing she needed on her mind.

She just put her hands over her face and breathed loudly. "Why is this happening now?" she said angrily behind her hands. "Why is this happening now?"

Unfortunately, it wasn't a question that Yori could answer. She had a feeling she knew what it was, as did Kim, but she didn't want to believe it was the case. As the girls continued to try to sustain Ron, Rufus quickly went through Kim's bag and tried to find anything that could help Ron. But his breathing was getting worse, and it looked like he was going to pass out. But the girls didn't know whether this was going to be something he was going to wake up from, so they tried to keep him conscious, too.

Kim didn't know what was wrong, and it was starting to drive her crazy. "I don't know what's wrong I don't know what's wrong I don't know what's WRONG! I could've _sworn_ we did everything right! He should have been back to normal!" she yelled angrily with tears in her eyes. "Why is this happening? WHAT is happening?"

Suddenly, Ron stopped moving.

And just as sudden as it happened, he started retching so hard it sounded like he was trying to vomit. Nothing seemed to be coming out, but based on the look of his face, every time he coughed there was a sharp pain that pierced his entire body. Again, it looked like he wanted to yell, but he just couldn't. But when Kim tried to grab him, he suddenly stopped moving again.

"Ugh… It better not have been eating that Naco six months after not eating one…" he said weakly.

Both girls instantly let out huge sighs of relief.

"Goodness, Ron…" Kim said nervously with a hand over her chest. But despite her ease, she wasn't calm just yet. "Speak to me! Talk to me! What… what just happened? Are you all right?"

Ron let out a huge groan before he could answer. He didn't look much better than earlier. "I… I dunno, Kim. I… I just… felt… something…" But because he didn't know, he couldn't give her a solid answer. "I-It… it was like… all my insides suddenly weighed a ton… like my body had a mind of its own or something… Like it didn't want me to breathe…"

Kim clenched her fists. "Yori, did Sensei or Eiji mention _any _kind of other side effects Ron might suffer from recovering?"

"Not that they told me," she answered lamentably. You know she wanted to say otherwise. "Eiji-san only told me everything he had told you. His brief coma, the dark aura protecting his body, memory loss… That's all they could detect at the time…"

As much as Sensei knew about the mystical posers and what could happen when they were corrupted, unfortunately, he didn't have every single answer and know everything. As long as the powers had existed, for hundreds if not thousands of years, there was bound to be some critical information about the MMP was bound to be lost by time. Both girls knew this.

"Kim… just go…" Ron said with a sickly expression on his face. "Go… Go on without me…"

It only made Kim even more worried. "Ron…" she said as she shook her head, "No…"

"You… you have to…" he said, "I'm… I'm just gonna slow you down…"

"You're wrong, Ron…" Kim said with an unsteady voice. "No, I'm not going to leave you behind, not like this. Come on… get up…"

Refusing to leave him behind, Kim quickly put one of his arms around her shoulders and tried to get up with him. But the moment his body moved upward, Ron screamed in agonizing pain. Kim immediately put him back down, and Yori almost fainted.

"Oh my gosh! I'm _so_ sorry!" Kim immediately apologized.

Ron started retching again, quickly losing his breath. The entire time he tried shaking his head. "Kim… l-listen to me…"

"Yes?" she said, grabbing both of his hands and holding them tightly. He was also trying to hold hers, but his grip was terribly weak.

"Kim…" Ron said with a cough. "Go in there… and _stop him_… Just leave me behind… Forget about me… Move… move on… Move on, Kim…"

Tears were quickly forming in Kim's eyes. "Ron, w-what are you saying?"

Ron let out another painful cough, in which Kim pressed her fingers on his stomach to suppress the pain. "I'm sorry, Kim… I don't know what's happening to me… But if it's anything like last time… I don't get the feeling that I'm going to wake up this time… I think this is it, Kim… I think this might be the end of the road for the Ronster…"

The sad expression on Kim's face quickly turned into an angry one again, as she grabbed Ron by the collar of his shirt. "Don't talk like that… Don't you _dare_ talk like that…" she practically ordered him in a shaky voice. "Why is this happening to you?"

"Dunno…" he responded, "It just feels like… like everything in my body's shutting down… like everything's going limp…" He started trembling again, but it wasn't because of intense twitching like before. "I'm sorry, Kim… I… I didn't mean to go out like this…"

His teeth were trembling. He was getting cold.

"Ron, please…" Kim pleaded with him, trying not to freeze her hands in his. "I can't do this without you!"

Rufus was blowing tissues at this point, and he quickly gave one to Yori. They were just as worried about Ron as Kim was, but they allowed the two to have a moment.

"K…Kim…" he wheezed, "L… Look at me…"

She found it difficult to. She hadn't seen the real Ron in months. Even so, it was difficult to look at him. A face, once filled with childlike wonder, once filled with so much life. Although Ron was considered to be ordinary-looking by many, it was a face that Kim grew up with, and one she learned to love. But to see that same face, now pale, weak, and filled with so much pain, and the thought that she'd never see Ron open his eyes again was heartbreaking for her.

She couldn't look at him straight in the eyes. His pupils were beginning to appear dilated.

"I'm… I'm listening…" she said.

"You're… Kim Possible… You can do anything…" Ron told her. "N-No matter what happens to me… you've gotta stop him…"

Kim let out a depressed sigh. "Can I…?" she asked him. "I… I barely survived without you, Ron… Please… Please don't leave me… Please don't do this to me again… What's the world if I can't have you in it…?"

Ron had become extremely weak, but with what was left of his strength, he grabbed Kim by the collar of her shirt with a serious face. This wasn't just a serious face, this was dead serious. "Kim, listen to me. If you don't stop him, there's not going to be a world for us to live in! Do it! GO!"

He couldn't hang onto her. He didn't want to yell at her, but he felt it was necessary and nearly fainted as a result. He was in so much pain and felt so weak. But the second he released her, Kim quickly wrapped her arms around him and held him tight, seeing as this might be the very last time she could do it.

Kim wiped a tear from her eye. "Ron… no… you can't die… I love you too much…"

Ron was barely able to hug her. "I know… I love you too, KP… You know I do… But you… you've got to do this for the world…"

"I…" Kim stalled, whispering in Ron's ear. "Can I actually do this…? Can I… actually stop him?" She didn't know what to think. Really, she was losing her mind.

"You have to…" he answered, unable to see the expression of the red and green blur in front of him, but he noticed something different with her tone, "Kim, are you… are you actually afraid?"

"I am…" she confessed, "I can't hide it anymore. I am. I really am."

"Kim…" Ron whispered in a comforting voice. But already he lost his breath.

It looked like Kim was about to say something she didn't want to say. "Ron, it's just… He's beaten me almost every single time… No matter how hard I've tried, no matter what I've done, he still manages to find a way to get on top every single time… I just don't know how he does it…" she said with glum disappointment, "It's not him I'm afraid of, it's you. Even I do manage to stop him… if you don't make it through this, what then? What's there to look forward to in life without you in it?"

"You can't think about that, Kim…" he answered, "Look… I know all sorts of bad stuff's gone wrong in the last six months… a lot of stuff that never should've happened did… but… you can't give up just yet… You're the only person who's ever bested him in combat. Ever. Do it for me, Kim… Show Val who's number one… Show him what my girl is made of… Show him… that Kim Possible's number one… If you can't do it for the world… do it for me… Please… Go…"

Kim quickly backed away and wiped a tear from her eye. She stared at Ron's pale eyes for a brief moment before speaking. "Okay… I'll do it…"

"Just… believe in yourself, KP…" was the advice he could give her, "and… Yori?"

"Yes, Stoppable-san?"

"S… Show him what you've got, too… Don't you dare hold back… show him that you two are the toughest chickies on the planet…"

Yori let out a weak giggle, not having been referred to that before. "It will be my honor to fulfill your wish, Stoppable-san… It will also be my honor to help Possible-san any way I can…"

"And Rufus…?"

Poor Rufus was wailing at this time, blowing his nose and hugging his owner.

"Thanks for the memories, buddy… You're the coolest naked mole rat ever… The best buddy an owner can have…" Ron said with a small smile on his face. "You should all get going now…"

"Hold on," Kim said as she took off her backpack. It was starting to get dark, with lightning striking the ocean and nearby areas. Kim was going to take out all kinds of supplies, but because of the time, she just threw the entire bag in front of Rufus. "Rufus, I've got a serious favor to ask…"

Rufus stood in front of her awaiting her orders.

"I'm not going to simply abandon Ron and just leave him here all alone to die. I want you to stay here with him," she told him. "Wrap him in a blanket and use _anything_ in my bag that you think might help keep him alive. I don't know what's going on with him, I don't think any of us do, but I want you to try. Everything you need is in there. Please, just help him. I'm counting on you."

Rufus nodded and gave Kim a salute. "Got it!"

"Thank you so much, Rufus…" Kim said with another tear in her eye.

Ron was getting weaker. "Kim… What… are you…"

Knowing what he was going to ask and not letting him waste more energy, Kim was quick to interrupt. "Ron, there's no way I'm just going to leave you here all alone to die, even if the fate of the world did depend on it. I'm going to go on ahead, but I'm going to leave you here in Rufus' care and hope he can somehow find a way to help you, at least until I get back. I can't go into that tower knowing I just gave up on you. Please Ron, don't say another word. Save your energy."

Ron let out a sickly groan. Even if he ordered Rufus to go on ahead anyway, he wouldn't listen to him.

Hesitant to walk away from him in the condition he was in, Kim turned toward Yori with nothing but grief written all over her face. Neither said a thing to the other, but words weren't necessary. Kim didn't want to leave Ron behind, not when his life energy seemed to be leaving him, but she had to do it for the world. Really, she was only doing it because he told her to. Yori understood completely. She truly wished that one of them could stay behind and help him, but Ryan was far too strong of an opponent to take on alone, and Kim needed all the help she could get, now with this sudden twist occurring. Such sad eyes from Kim told her so much, but she knew what she had to do.

She really wanted to know what was happening to Ron, and was uncertain of the path that lay ahead for him. Although she didn't show it as much as Kim, she too was worried for his fate and if this was truly it for him. She took what might have been one last glimpse of him. "In life or death I will honor your last wish, Stoppable-san. We won't let you down."

Hesitant to walk away, Kim stopped to take one final look as well. "Ron… Listen to me… When this is all over, I'm going to come back for you… Please… just hang on…"

Ron only watched as two faded figures ran off toward their final destination. Meanwhile, Rufus was frantically digging through Kim's bag for anything that could keep him warm.

For the first time in her life, Kim was hesitant to save the world only for Ron's sake, but she needed to do it. She didn't have the confidence knowing she'd see him again when this was all over and that this would all end happily, but she at least let him know that she loved him in case it didn't.

'_Wait for me, Ron… Please… don't leave me just yet… Please… Just hang on…'_

Rufus was quick to empty Kim's backpack of all kinds of medical equipment. First aid kits, medicine, stitches, serums, bandages, binoculars, clothes, thermal and night vision visors, various sensors and detectors, splints, and a knife that had been used only on vines and branches. Kim had just about everything she needed for survival, surgical and medical treatment except for food and lethal weaponry. But that wasn't all Rufus pulled out, and it was far too late to catch the girls' attention.

Kim literally left him everything, including everything she needed for serious combat; weapons, equipment, various gadgets and devices, her utility belt and even her battle suit. Everything she absolutely needed in this situation, she left it all behind. And she didn't have a single weapon on her that would aid her in battle. Not one.

But even if he did call out to the girls, his yell would've been blocked out by the roar of thunder. Not long after nature's explosion, he felt a raindrop fall on his head. It started sprinkling, and judging from the dark eerie clouds and lightning, a storm was approaching. In fact, it seemed that a funnel cloud was forming over the tower. He didn't have much time before things would get hectic, so he pulled out whatever blankets he could out of Kim's bag and wrapped them around tightly around his owner. But Ron was only getting worse, now appearing to be unconscious with open eyes. Rufus continued to grab whatever he could out of Kim's bag and scrambled to wrap Ron in just about anything that could keep him warm.

But Ron wasn't unconscious. Not yet, anyway. Unable to move his limbs, he could only stare at the dark clouds above him, watching as raindrops hit his eyelids.

"There's… nothing you can't do…" he spoke weakly.

Soon after that, everything went to black as rain continued to come down on his face.

* * *

The journey to the inner depths of the Tower was a silent one. They wouldn't speak of it.

It was bad enough that both Kim and Yori just couldn't stop thinking about Ron, but that desperate, dire, weak and pale look on his face was an image they couldn't get out of their heads. Kim tried to be more optimistic about the entire situation and told herself that Rufus would do his absolute best to keep Ron alive or find a way to keep him stable.

It was like they were outrunning the storm. They wouldn't slow down. They were just focused on the entrance of the Tower and getting inside. They knew a storm was coming, but they didn't notice the dark spiraling clouds hovering over the ancient ruins. Within close range the girls couldn't hear their own footsteps, but instead a loud ambient humming noise like an engine in an ancient factory. It almost sounded vocal, like deep humming from a hundred men, but it sounded more mechanical than human.

A large stain of dried blood served as the welcome mat to the ancient Tower, and mass confusion greeted them the moment they stepped inside.

From the outside, the Tower appeared to be about five or six stories high. Because of its name and structure, it was fair for the girls to assume that the only way to go was up. Imagine going to the stairs and not finding any. It turned out that the part of the Tower that stood above the earth was one dome-shaped chamber. No multiple-rooms, no doorways, no stairs, no strange teleportation warps or platforms, just one big empty chamber. A hollow shell. A dead end. The only way to go was back outside. The two knew this wasn't everything.

The room might have been completely empty and shaped like a dome, but there was still a lot to say about it. First of all, there was nothing flat about the walls. It was extremely smooth, curvy and shapely like a molding arts experiment. But there was plenty of life in this place. The same mysterious carvings on the outside of the Tower were also present on the inside, but some kind of glowing blue energy streamed through the cracks like a river flow. It was everywhere; the floor, the wall, and even the very tip of the ceiling. But even with so much of it, it was too dim to light the arena.

Instead, what illuminated the room were several orbs of blue light that wandered throughout the room like confused fireflies. It filled Yori with so much curiosity that she decided to touch one. What happened was that her hand went straight through it, feeling nothing as if it were an illusion. But the lights never had a solid brightness to them and appeared to have a limited life to them; some would fade out and disappear for good, and it looked as if more appeared in their place. So much light and yet so much darkness. The way the lights moved around the place, it was like a mirror ball had been placed there to emulate a living planetarium.

Make no mistake, Kim thought; it was the exact same technology as the Genesis Chamber. The rock-like walls with the exact same texture, the patterns on the walls with the same appearance, and that same mysterious blue light peeking through the crevices. Along with that was the same clockwork-like machinery that kept the place alive. Although the Genesis chamber seemed to be void of any life other than the blue light, something about this place felt a lot more vibrant and active.

As Kim tried to determine the similarities between this ancient structure and the Genesis Chamber, Yori wound up being completely absorbed by the mysterious, ancient, and organic beauty of the place. She had never seen anything like it in her life, and almost felt like she fell into some kind of futuristic fantasy painting. Although blue was probably the one color present throughout the room, so many beautiful shades of it reflected off the ancient machinery like water, bringing the place to life. The ancient machines hanging from the walls and ceiling, despite their odd shapes, were extremely decorative, crafted with so much precision and detail. And with lights resembling the stars at night moving around the room, it almost took her breath away.

However, Yori was reminded the hard way that even roses have their thorns. With the shape and detail of the room, it was easy to get lost focusing on the walls and the ceiling. But when their focus went straight to the floor, both girls were in for a nasty surprise.

The floor they had been standing on had been the beaten victim of a ruthless bloody battle. It looked like the demolished ruins of a war zone. Ground zero. It was cracked and broken like it had been subjected to incessant explosions, damaged so much that smoke and stream came out of the cracks like air out of a balloon, and even damaged wires and ancient machinery were sticking out all from the cracks. But that wasn't all. Bloodstains could be seen _everywhere_, just short of gratuitous. But like the ones outside, they weren't 'today' recent. They were 'a few days ago' or 'last week' recent.

Kim grabbed her head as she let out a stressful grunt. "This scene so screams Valia Ryan… If it wasn't obvious he was already here, it is now."

"How terrible…" Yori said with her hand over her mouth. It was difficult to determine what she found so devastating; so much destruction in such a beautiful place or all of the blood.

Curious to the cause, Kim and Yori separated to investigate the damage for any clues. It was difficult to see what hid in the shadows of the ruins, but what they found more difficult was looking around with all the noise.

The Tower, an ancient, breathing weapon, maybe one with a beating heart that kept it alive. The only noise that was somewhat recognizable was the gentle hum of the ancient machinery. Everything else sounded almost organic and ghoulish, like something dead and ancient was present. The quiet and creepy ambience appeared to be moving to the motion of the lights wandering around the room. Whatever it was, it was breathing… active… perhaps alive… But the one noise that stood out over the rest was something that sounded like a human heart. Such ambience was the breath and life of the dark ancient weapon.

Just to add to the creepiness, there wasn't a thing that could be seen in the shadows. Both Kim and Yori were forced to be cautious in their steps after nearly tripping and falling numerous times. One second a portion of the floor would be lit, and the next second it would be shrouded in pure darkness.

Just then, something caught the corner of Kim's eye, something not even the darkness could hide.

"Hmm?"

"What is it?" Yori asked, watching as Kim wandered toward something.

Kim suddenly vanished before her eyes, or so it appeared. She was practically rendered invisible once stepping into the shadows with the exception of her arm, allowing Yori to follow her. She got on one of her knees to examine something that illuminated the floor in green.

"This…"

There was a streak on the floor that had a faint green glow to it. Because of the darkness surrounding it, there wasn't much for Kim to make out. Although they didn't realize it, the entire floor of the chamber had these green burn marks all over the place, perhaps more so than the blood, but couldn't be seen due to both the light and the darkness. What distinguished this one from the rest was that this one was still glowing.

It just looked too familiar to her, but it didn't make sense. Why would something like this be in here?

Could it have been…?

"It can't be…" Kim said to herself. "No…"

Something soon changed that thought. With the way the lights were traveling throughout the room, the streak wasn't hidden in darkness for long. Like a sun rising over the horizon, the entirety of the mark was soon revealed. The glowing portion of it was just the small bit of it that was still burning. The actual mark was in the shape of an 'S' like a snake, and wasn't a claw mark like Kim originally thought. What was even more peculiar about the scorch mark was that it had some kind of 'tip' at one end of it. Then it made sense. Unfortunately, it was the only thing that did.

"It's from Val's plasma whip," Kim concluded. She hadn't seen the weapon in so long that she forgot it had the exact same green glow as something else she was familiar with. Something she grew to hate over the years.

She was confused. The damage and blood appeared to have been days old if not more, but the green remnants of the whip were recent. Too recent. Touching it gently with her glove, she could feel its heat. It was more apparent than ever that while Valia was nowhere to be seen, they were close to him. Clearly there was more to this ruin than this one chamber, but there was nothing in sight that could take them further.

Kim had been used to seeing strange things on this journey, but not Yori. Her eyes couldn't help but wander around the room. Such beautiful colors, such strange and intricate machines. That said, she had been observing the details of just about everything the eye could see, though not exactly with the focus of searching for anything suspicious. Because she wanted to see every bit of this distorted painting, she was the first to find that something else in this room wasn't quite right…

Something about the walls looked radically different than the floor. The floor had suffered incredible damage like the scene of a hard battle, yet the walls had not a scratch on them. With all of the blood and the explosive remnants spread throughout the floor, some of it was just bound to get on the walls. Nothing. Such destruction and carnage on the floor, but clearly absent on the walls.

The light was starting to make it more obvious. From the way Kim got on her knees and inspected a hole between the wall and the floor, she also became aware of this.

"Do you see it as well?" Yori asked her.

Kim nodded. There was a hole that went to the very end of the floor they stood on, clearly the result of an explosive force, but the wall was completely untouched. "The floor is just trashed and totaled, but the walls are spotless. Obviously something's not right… And that can only mean…"

"This isn't the actual floor… We're standing on a platform…" But as Yori said this, she made another realization. "Possible-san, I believe we are actually at the _top_ of this 'Tower.'"

"Exactly what I was thinking…" Kim said with a firm nod. "That means the only way we're going is down and deep underground… and if this platform goes down… wait… could this _entire_ floor be one giant elevator?"

Yori was already on the lookout for something. "There is only one way to find out. We must find a switch."

Oh, if only the switch wasn't so easy to miss. It was conveniently placed right at the entrance of the Tower like a light switch, but because our two teen heroines were in a rush to get inside, they ran right past it and didn't even notice. What made it even more difficult to see was that it had the same blue glow as the lights surrounding the room. It took them a while to find it, but both wound up finding the device at the same time.

They didn't even know if it really was the switch to the elevator. Well, it was rather obvious that it was, but it had to be the strangest-looking switch the two of them had ever seen. It certainly didn't look like one. It was about the size of Kim's hand, but it had such an unusual pattern on it. It had some kind of shape in the middle of it, surrounded by six others, not one looking the same. Although Kim didn't know if it was actually the right way to activate the switch, she put her hand over it.

"Well… here goes…" she said. Unfamiliar with this technology, she really didn't know what she was doing.

Yori nodded, but took a defensive fighting stance in case it were a trap. Kim gently pressed the switch with the palm of her hand, and she pulled it back almost immediately. It responded almost immediately to her touch. The outer shapes changed from a neon blue color to a greenish cyan one. After that, they rotated clockwise in a full circle, then the shape in the middle turned yellow.

Both Kim and Yori quickly stepped back toward the center of the room, as the engine noises in the chamber grew louder and louder. Something was happening.

And suddenly, the ominous and deep voice of a woman surrounded the entire chamber.

"_**Oksuyo amyos… Deseren neivau at Tivivus Et Vat Su… Mosu arietvu nisao… Vat sut veves Protstu 'Type H'… Menves… Du asen tio vi…" **(Warning… Unknown Identity Detected in Sector 2… Confirming Authorization… Identification Complete: Type H… Access Granted… Please wait at the center of the platform…)_

It wasn't the most pleasant sound for Kim. "Not exactly the most inviting and welcoming voice, is it?" It sounded worse than Barkin's worst bite. "That didn't happen to be Japanese by any chance, did it, Yori?"

Yori only shook her head. "I did not recognize any of what was said, Possible-san… but that voice…"

"Sound familiar?"

Yori nodded. "It does… It echoed throughout my dream… It is the voice of the Tower… but… it is not a living and breathing being… No…" She was concerned that this wouldn't make much sense to Kim. "Perhaps it is the voice of the Tower's security system?"

"Like a computer…" Kim said in thought, understanding completely. Similar to error and status messages.

Suddenly, the entire place began shaking like a light earthquake. It became calm soon enough, but the entire room started rotating. That's what it felt like at first, anyway. The floor itself was actually moving clockwise.

"**_Asuka Toowe… Vielt Ambre…"_** the eerie voice of the Tower announced. _(Destination… Control Room…)_

"Please don't tell me that means to hang onto something…" Kim said, looking for any wires sticking out from the floor she could hang onto.

"I do not believe we are in any immediate danger right now…" was all Yori said, standing calmly in the middle of the room.

"_**Aksuuu…" **(Engage…)_

And in an instant, the platform began to plummet into the earth at an intense speed. The feeling of discomfort instantly hit the girls, not because the platform they were standing on was falling at such a startling speed, but the muscles in their bodies were responding to the intense speed they were going. The human body can only tolerate so much, and if the platform began to accelerate faster, it could damage their muscular structure permanently. Fortunately, either they got used to moving at such ludicrous speed, or the elevator had slowed down to a safer speed. Still, it was going extremely fast.

The vertical corridor they found themselves in was just like the top of the Tower. The same unique designs everywhere. However, it became more apparent that whatever resulted in the floor being so smashed up, it happened on a trip up to the surface or down to the bottom. Like looking at mile markers on a road trip, stains of blood, green burns, or more damage to the walls flew past the girls at random intervals.

* * *

It felt never-ending.

Kim had been standing patiently the entire time, wondering if the bottom floor of the Tower could simply be reached by falling into a manhole in China. They had gone so deep in the earth, minutes passed like rush hour traffic, and not a thing changed in the scenery. Even though Yori claimed that the Tower itself wasn't a living being, the technology seen everywhere made it feel otherwise. The sleeping ancient giant continued to produce such ghastly ambience.

Meanwhile, Yori had been sitting in the middle of the moving platform, deeply engaged in meditation. Both of them had a lot on their minds, and because Yori knew her mind would wander towards Ron if she remained idle for a long time, she tried to clear her mind of any strain. That said, Kim tried as hard as she could to keep herself from going crazy thinking about her beloved. She knew things were going to get ugly once the elevator reached its destination, and she couldn't let such thoughts affect her. The world depended on it.

"Possible-san?" Yori asked out of nowhere. "Would you like to join me in meditation?"

As much as Kim understood and practiced the fighting aspects of martial arts, she felt that a lot of the mental and spiritual aspects of it were rather… exaggerated and over-dramatized, Monkey Fist being a perfect example. Not that she looked down upon those who practiced meditation and looked at fighting as more of a time-consuming and deep spiritual journey with a lot of discipline, but she couldn't engage in such a practice herself, not with school, saving the world and being the captain of Middleton High's cheerleading squad - which in actuality was just an excuse. In truth Kim just couldn't picture herself dedicating so much time to discipline herself in such a manner, though she had a serious load of respect for those who did, or anyone who was passionate in what they did and what they believed in.

But rubbing her head to calm her headache, she felt so much sweat on her fingers. She still felt drained, although not as much as before, and her head felt just a smidge better. That's when she noticed there was quite a difference between herself and Yori.

Yori was a sleeping baby in comparison, free of all tension. She just sat quietly in the floor with crossed legs, looking so calm and serene. Peace, quiet and tranquility.

Really, it was exactly what Kim needed. Things were going to get real nasty soon, she was sure of it, and she needed to be ready. Clearing her mind of all stress, negative thoughts and feeling was exactly what she needed.

"Sure," she finally replied as she sat down. "But, I gotta tell you… I've… never really done this before."

Without opening her eyes, Yori only smiled. "There is nothing to be embarrassed about. Just remain calm and free your mind of all thoughts, and I believe it will come to you."

"Okay… just gotta simmer down a bit…" Kim said as she exhaled. "I can do this…"

The platform continued to plummet deeper into the earth. It would take ten minutes for it to reach its destination.

* * *

Their eyes opened at the same time.

Not realizing how much time had passed, Kim and Yori got onto their feet as the soft engine noises of the elevator began to dwindle down. It grew softer as the elevator started slowing down. Because of the intense speed it had been going, the decelerating process took several minutes just so it could come to a soft and safe stop. The girls didn't even feel it come to a halt. When the platform was finally secure, a door in front of them unlocked. Not with a sound, but with two lights on its side that turned from red to green.

"Huh… even in this place red means stop and green means go," Kim thought out loud.

They could hear something on the other side of the door. Something mechanical, something loud, something active. Strangely, it wasn't that much different than the entrance of a nightclub. They quickly approached the door, which slid wide open.

They were greeted by a blinding and piercing light, so powerful they could have been engulfed in flames. Actually, it was just the same effect as being in the dark for so long and having someone abruptly hit the lights. It took them a few seconds to regain themselves.

The control room of the Tower looked radically different than every other part of it. As opposed to the white armor-like rock that kept the tower together, shrouded in eerie darkness lit by weakened blue lights, the walls and ceiling of this room were made entirely of gold, or at least something that looked just like it. The floor was something different, however, almost like orange glass with little light patterns streaming through it. Everything looked more futuristic than it did ancient, except for the huge machine that nearly took up the entire room.

Not far away from them was the control unit, which looked like someone had pulled out all kinds of shiny golden metal scraps and slapped them all together. It shouldn't have taken five to six hours just to make a button, lever or switch. Talk about complicated. Behind the control unit seemed to be the actual machine, with three strangely-shaped generators spinning around the room, all creating a ball of energy in the middle of it all. The energy ball appeared to be made out of both electricity and beams of light. The loud roar of the ancient technology filled the entire room.

And there he was. Valia.

He had been standing in front of the controls the entire time, patiently with his arms crossed. Other than the noise of the ancient machine, the only other thing that could be heard throughout the room was loud and deep breathing on his part. Kim and Yori tried to walk as quietly as they could toward him, but he was already more than aware of someone's presence.

"So… you finally showed up after all, Kim. And here I was beginning to think that you wouldn't make it."

He was just alive as ever. Although Kim's company was to be expected, he didn't immediately notice that she hadn't come alone. Though that was also somewhat anticipated, her comrade wasn't who he expected. He didn't show his surprise (or lack of), but based on the way he smiled with his clenched teeth, it was almost as if he wanted them down here.

Embracing his guests, he turned around with welcome arms, almost being dimmed to a shadow from the machine behind him if not for those piercing blue-grey eyes of his.

"Welcome to the revolution…"


	28. 27: The Lullaby of Passionate Hatred P1

**Author's Notes and Disclaimer: IMPORTANT! READ**

I should have known that would happen. Nearly two years and no update. Well, it's not because I didn't try, believe me. I just realized what I wanted was really too much for me to chew, mixed along with several things occurring in my life (school, graduation, work, Season 4 for instance). I wanna apologize to the fans of this story who waited a long time for an update, but this was truly the most challenging thing I've ever written, and for good reason. Went through a few good writer's block phases, typed up what could take up chapters and chapters only to realize it was terrible and deleted it, and it was extremely difficult to achieve the feel I was going for in this chapter. Even now it's not exactly what I wanted to aim for, but it's the closest I'm going to get.

We learned that whatever Ryan is up to will destroy the world, according to Yori. Now the question is _why?_ But it's not as simple as that, and _**I**_ have a lot of explaining to do, because the next few chapters (not all the way to the conclusion, mind you) will have a completely different tone than the rest of the story, which I'm certain will make readers extremely uncomfortable, offended, bored, angry, and will completely turn them off – depending on whether they want to read the story I'm telling, or thinking it's made for them to enjoy – regardless of an explanation. Hear me out if you would.

When the story was conceived back in Nov. '05, a good week before Season 4 was officially announced, the premise was always "what if". Like any other writer I wanted to explore possibilities that would never happen on the show (dark tone, an overly serious tone, violence, language, and so on), but I thought could given the universe of it, and I had absolutely no intention from ripping it apart and taking anything away from it. A huge pet peeve of mine. In the first story, it was introducing a different type of villain that not only had similarities to a typical high-schooler, but was extremely dangerous and could not just beat Kim in a battle, but do it _easily_. A new kind of challenge for her. The second one I introduced some concepts I knew many weren't comfortable with (and looking back, had terrible execution all over the place). But for the third and supposed final, I had many. What if the world turned on Kim? What if she lost Ron and fell to nothing (something I felt was implied by a Sitch in Time)? What if Kim teamed up with what I created to be the ultimate pain in the ass for her? There are loads more that are really covered throughout the story. Everything in these stories are my take on those answers.

But for the final confrontation on this one, I had an idea that I thought sounded good at the time: Kim takes on bad guys who want to _take over_ the world. But I wanted to do something different. I wanted her to face someone who had the potential of absolutely _destroying_ the world and everything in it. I wondered then, if the world _we live in_ suddenly came to an end by the hands of a single individual acting alone, purposely or inadvertently, what would be their reason? And that's when a light bulb in my head went off, and realized that was an idea I wanted to explore. _That_ was what I wanted to experiment with. A realistic portrayal of why the world could possibly come to an end by the hands of one person. Not a team, not a couple, not someone who controls a legion of people. One single person acting all on their own, alone, and one Kim may not be able to stop. But I didn't want it to be simple, I certainly didn't want it to be comforting, but I did want to make it believable. I even wanted to scare the hell out of people if I could. But I also added another factor, and I'm sure everyone's going to hate me for this: I wanted the reader to feel _targeted_ by this character. Threatened, even. Unfortunately for me, the only way I know how to do it is to throw the fiction out the window.

_That_ was someone I wanted Kim to face. _That_ is the sole intent of this final act. I wanted Valia to return to his roots as the final adversary, and this was perfect for his character, already outspoken about his frustrations with society and his unpopular beliefs, but the power and drive to do the unthinkable with no regard to his own human boundaries. I wanted the story to end with Kim facing against that kind of movie villain people thought couldn't be stopped and thought the movie would have a bad ending, or the final boss of a game you'd stay up to four in the morning getting hundreds of game overs from trying to figure out how to damage it, or because he suffers from _SNK Boss Syndrome_ like Valia does, and would later give up anyway. All in all, I wanted to reintroduce Valia as a character with the potential to destroy the world we live in, and the drive to do so.

This final villain rant is agonizingly long. We're talking at least four chapters here of Valia on a soapbox, folks.

That said, that's not all of it. I wanted to experiment with something else, unfortunately what might be considered the biggest cliché now with villains. Going into the mind of someone who truly threatens to wipe humanity off the face of this earth, I wanted my readers to ask themselves something. Exactly why is he seen as a villain in the eyes of the readers? Because he and Kim are fighting against each other? Is it his actions? His beliefs? Reasons? What he's willing to do? What he's willing to risk? And there's the possibility some won't see him as a villain at all. Some might even think he's completely right, his execution flawed or even flawless. And that was another thing I wanted to experiment on with his final rant: What if you actually find yourself agreeing with him? What if you found some truth in what he claimed? Doesn't mean you have to like or dislike it, and you might not even understand where he comes from on any of this. But personally I find that angle to be more entertaining and scary than making him with the selfish, simple and pathetic views as I did with Sean. In the end, I wanted to make a villain rant that could have several, multiple interpretations, it's all for the reader to decide. Now I'm not going to tell you you're going to enjoy any of it, but there is no right or wrong in what the reader takes out of this. You can say he is right, you can say he is wrong, both or neither. He wasn't intended to be hated only to be liked, and vice versa. That was the kind of enemy I wanted Kim to fight against.

Of course, anyone who's read any of these stories knows that I love me a good villain rant. But here, I wanted to completely redefine for myself what a villain rant is. I always perceived it as something that would get a reaction out of the audience, whether it makes them think, become offended, scared, or say "boo" and throw popcorn at the screen. Something that makes you love or hate the villain, become scared of them, or realize their threat. Maybe even respect them. For that I wanted to reintroduce this character's potential as a threat. Not in power, but in mind. My problem is that I can't make such a thing simple (otherwise this story would be less than 30 chapters and less than 100,000 words). So to achieve the effect I was after, I went overboard. Not intentionally but that's how it turned out. You can say the pacing is painfully slow, you can tell me it was completely unnecessary, it's not what you're interested in, and why you're not on this website. It's anything but enjoyable escapism. I realize that. You can call me whatever you want but it won't change anything. Again, I'm only concerned for telling the story that's been trapped in my head since the day it was conceived, the Thanksgiving before Season 4 was officially announced. It's probably obvious at this point, but I will warn you again that this villain rant is not for the sensitive or light-hearted nor is it a comforting read. No punches are held back, no language is censored, and nothing's been edited for length and pace. It. Is. Long. And it will contain extremely mature-level content in it, enough to make me worry about the rating. I'd say this is rated late teens. And Val being Val, he will say things that is most certainly designed to anger, offend and piss people off. There's an extremely good chance you will be extremely offended, irritated, discomforted, even scared. And you will not feel happy when this is all over. I'm not doing it with that intent, but it is the purpose. I can't do it any other way with him as a threat. There's a 99% chance you're not going to enjoy what Ryan has to say, or any of what he has already said. But you were never really supposed to. And some took serious issue with the words that came out of his mouth throughout all three stories. Well, this is what it all leads up to… That was the cause, now comes the effect.

But more importantly, I also want to remind my readers (and those of you who have stuck around from the very beginning, bless all of you), that first and foremost, this is a story. It's _not_ me using fanfiction or this website as a medium to spread out my views and vent to shove down the reader's throats, it's not me writing something with some sort of agenda in mind, and for those of you who haven't or refused to realize this yet, I'm not putting myself into these stories in the form of an original character. I am certainly not Valia and he is certainly not me. I'd be another person he'd probably beat to a pulp. Many times it may not seem that way because I have to dive into his mind to make this work, but I don't care if you're not buying it because I'm not selling it. It's a fact. I know the way some our favorite characters are treated is irksome, but I don't write these stories with my concern being what _I_ want to see (other than Kim kicking butt and immortal K/R love). I write it because that's the story formed in my head. Blame my brain cells.

If there was a contest to create the most hardcore S.O.B. adversary for Kim Possible to face off against, this would be my take and interpretation of it. I also realize many are going to take issue with the fact that the rest of the story will focus almost entirely on Valia, but I'm not doing it so he can steal Kim's spotlight. From the beginning he was created to demonstrate and portray the kind of villain/ enemy/ adversary/ opponent that Kim never fought against: not one that could easily dominate her, but one that might be _out there_. One of the great things that took me by surprise about KP was that I couldn't believe how greatly I could relate to the characters, the good guys. But not the villains as much. So Ryan was made with that purpose in mind. He was created to make readers realize that people like him _are_ out there. Not his powers and abilities, but his thoughts and mind, and has the potential to destroy. Although I have no idea whether or not I achieved that. High school was one thing, but college and the real world, I wanted to dive into the mind of a character that realizes he has the potential desire to ruin the world, one I think many of us wonder at times has already ruined itself. It was clearly biting off more than I could chew, hence how long it took me since the last update, but once I start something I have to finish it. And having this character's voice and one-liners loop in your mind for several months, it has to come out some way or another. Unfortunately, the timing of this chapter's release may not have the intended effect it could have if it had been released nearly two years ago.

I also want to thank everyone who's read the story from the very beginning for their patience. It should be more apparent now that I was never writing these to please an audience; more for the sake of throwing an idea out there without butchering the characters I love (even though it's fair to accuse me of that, I've seen many do a total hatchet job that I can't recognize them as characters from the show). I don't expect people to automatically enjoy what I have to offer, and I don't feel as if I owe anything to people who think they're entitled to have a story go the way they want it, but at the same time I don't want anyone who has enjoyed these stories to be left hanging either. I just hope for them, the conclusion of this story will not disappoint, and the ending isn't going to be as ambiguous as the previous ones were designed to be. Believe it or not, we still have a long way to go. Even now the stage for the final battle is not set. Kim and Yori will not be alone in this final duel. But who's going to join them in their fight? I guess you'll just have to read to find out. It might be who you think it is, and maybe not.

You also might have guessed how Season 4 might have impacted these stories. Admittedly I was blindsided by many things, but there's a few things that work in my favor that I can use here, plus a jab at the fandom I originally intended before S4, and some _things_ grew extremely popular… If I wanted to be liked that would mean something. Either way, I'm going to tell the story in its original form, and like everything else in my life, I'm not going to let anything stop me or hold me back. Nothing you think or say will make any difference.

For the greatest effect of this part _every word_ has to be looked deeply into. There's no other way. That said it's clearly easier said than done. If you can lose yourself, go for it. However, I'm well aware that most people will not read through all of this. I'm aware that most will not understand even half the content or find an ounce of it enjoyable. But it is part of the story. This is who Valia is, this is what he sees, and we'll soon learn why Kim has no other choice but to fight him.

Sorry for all that, but I wanted to clear that up before people would read something they probably want to kill me for, and I know many still will. It's just text on the internet, people. And now to begin the final act of this story. I really hope the next parts don't last long because I have been working at this frequently since the last upload. I have a nasty obsession of finishing what I begin.

Brace yourselves. You have been warned, and you might not be able to handle the preacher of death who will serve once again as the story's final opponent. Remember, that's his role.

**Chapter 27: The Lullaby of Passionate Hatred (Part 1)**

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* * *

**_December 22, 2006_

This was it.

The curtains of hell had been raised, the stage set for chaos. And the star of the show was ready to embrace it all.

The sinister smirk in his lips that quickly turned into a psychotic smile with grinded teeth. The shrunken pupils of those glowing, grayish blue eyes, sparking with an intense rage. All with open arms to welcome the visitors that stood before him, ready to take on the entire world and crush it into oblivion with his bare hands; something he could have easily achieved judging by the extreme and serious look on his face. To make eye contact with him for even a split second, one look into those bloodthirsty and psychotic eyes of his, glaring at you as the winds of the ancient machine behind him blew his hair and ripped trenchcoat all over the place, was to look into the eyes of Death itself. Just by looking at him you knew there was no future for you, and there was nothing you could do to stop him. And he knew it just as much as you did.

He carried the essence of death with him. Just by breathing the air in the room, one could actually taste every bit of it.

Nothing had changed about Valia's appearance since the last time each of the girls had encountered him. Spiky jet black hair, blue-grey eyes, a scar that went through his left eye and covered most of his forehead, and his trademark leather coat. And yet, he was almost a completely unrecognizable being. And that wasn't the half of it. They couldn't just sense it. No, they could actually _feel_ it: Something so dark and powerful it could be felt throughout the entire chamber, a brooding feeling they could feel flowing through their blood veins.

Something like this could have been a completely new feeling for Kim. An unexplainable, overwhelming feeling of something so dark. Something so powerful. So evil. So discomforting. The presence of an extremely dark and powerful aura that nearly robbed the air of its oxygen. But it wasn't anything she wasn't familiar with. Not at all. The same feeling was with her throughout her entire journey, to save the man she believed to be her soul mate. But the moment Ron was saved and regained his humanity, the dark, corrupted and evil aura he was releasing was nowhere to be felt. At least, until now. It may not have been the same evil aura that she was familiar with, but the one she felt now was just as powerful if not more than the one Ron carried with him. She couldn't determine which felt worse of the two. While Yori had grown accustomed to such kinds of mysterious auras, much longer than Kim ever believed in them, there was something about this power that was beginning to affect her. Physically. She found herself nearly trembling. Not from fear, but it was as if the air around her had suddenly gone cold in a place within the deepest depths of earth.

Something really bad was about to happen down here. That much was certain. But Kim couldn't determine the source of this dark aura. Was it coming from Ryan himself or the ancient machine behind him? But that wasn't the least of her thoughts. She had more on her mind than just what was simply occurring down here.

In the many years Kim had thwarted bad guys and saved the world, it was always the same routine when she intruded on someone's plans: Arrive in the nick of time, be treated like an unwelcome guest, have a short exchange in dialogue, and be assaulted by henchmen or laser guns. But then again, those were the guidelines. Everyone followed them, and the result was always the same, with her coming out on top. But such a thing would definitely not occur down here, not with someone who was among if not the absolute toughest of her past adversaries. Aside from being a top rate martial artist, Valia Ryan never followed any guidelines or acted on them, and was notorious for his confusing, unpredictable behavior and actions at times.

In this case, as opposed to showing frustration for the timing of Kim's interference, Ryan was instead more than happy to give his two lovely young guests a warm welcome to the Death Chamber, the control room of the world's unknown ultimate ancient weapon, the Tower. Their presence alone filled him with nothing but joy and pure excitement, enough to have him laughing long and loud; a recognizable mad laughter that echoed and could be heard throughout the entire chamber, and within the nightmares of his victims. He stood high above the ground with the control platform as his stage, placing him on a slightly higher level than his audience, among the many things that added onto his overly threatening appearance.

One could have perceived that he had forsaken his humanity just by the way he looked. He didn't seem real or human anymore, resembling a demon from the deepest pits of hell more than anything. Although the ancient chamber was golden in appearance, the control platform was lit entirely in red. With the way the light was reflecting from the gold, this place didn't resemble a control room. No. It resembled the pure gates of hell, the entrance to oblivion. Ryan himself was painted in a dark crimson red color, making it appear as if he had been drenched in his own blood, all but those grayish blue eyes of his. His trenchcoat had been nearly ripped to shreds, allowing his many concealed possessions to be easily seen. It not only resembled a torn cloak blowing in the wind of a storm, but somehow torn wings as well. It all gave him an extremely intimidating demonic and vampiric quality. And yet, not a single feature of his had changed; physically he was just as human as human could be. But he had a completely murderous vibe surrounding him, and although Kim and Yori were known for their fearlessness in situations where anyone could be easily killed in and already had been, it was enough to make their skin crawl without them realizing it.

He'd been pulled straight from a nightmare; one the girls knew they weren't going to wake up from anytime soon. Anybody else down here would have desperately tried to wake themselves up, just by being in his presence, but it was going to take more than this to scare off the likes of the world famous Kim Possible and Yori, someone who might have been equal if not superior to the girl who claimed she could do anything.

But it wasn't as if they had a choice in the matter. Just then, the door behind them slid shut, and the elevator inside began to make its swift return back to the surface. There was no turning back now.

Even if it came back for them, they had absolutely no intention of backing out from this. You could see the determination in their eyes, despite the creepiness of an otherwise beautiful scene. But they were certainly not void of fear. Yori couldn't hide her trembling from the cold feeling surrounding her, and Kim, while appearing calm and prepared as she always did, on the inside she was extremely tense. You couldn't tell just by looking at her. Other than Ryan's demonic appearance and the murderous look on his face, she knew that if there was one person who could destroy the world with their will alone, even with her intervention, she was looking straight at him. His appearance alone should have been enough to stop anyone who stood before him and force them to give up. But it wasn't going to happen. They were here for one reason and one reason alone: To stop him no matter what it took. If stopping Valia meant they had to fight him, they would, even if there was a chance they wouldn't leave this place alive.

But they were certainly more than aware of that risk. It certainly wasn't the first time, but they couldn't tell you it wouldn't be the last time. This wasn't a laughing matter to them. They knew full well they could both die down here. This time they actually could. But they weren't going to try and hide the thought, brush it away or ignore it.

They were going to welcome it. They were going to embrace it.

But to simply witness the fear and determination of his two opponents was nothing short of child's play for Valia. He needed to do no more than look deeply into their eyes and everything would be all laid out to him without even attempting a thing. And he could only smile in satisfied delight. He knew they were afraid. He could tell how honest they were about their chances. He could see the lack of confidence in their eyes, as well as their spirited determination. This wasn't the fake and stubborn tough girl act he had seen in high school, college and on the streets. This was the genuine real deal. In a time where nobody else in the world would even think it, Kim and Yori would stand up against him despite their fears and knowing full well their lives were at stake. And the thought was just downright delicious. And at the same time, he felt nothing but absolute respect and admiration for them because of it.

Even though only seconds passed since bidding the girls welcome, he took it upon himself to break the silence.

"So wonderful you ladies could make it!" a voice filled with excitement yelled with raised and welcome arms. That was the one thing that didn't change about him. His voice, one that sounded ten years older than his appearance gave off, filled with so much anger, power with an immense authority, nearly silencing the roar of the ancient machine behind him. Appearing calm, he lowered his arms and resumed a casual stance. "So… I suppose it goes without saying that you finally managed to figure out exactly where to find me, and with such impeccable timing…" he said with a delighted chuckle, "But I guess that much is to be expected of the world-renown Kimberly Ann Possible… and I here was beginning to think you weren't going to make it. What a great disappointment that would have been…"

"That's enough, Val!" Kim yelled with a frustrated swing in her arm. "Tell me… Why are you doing this?" she demanded to know. Frustrated and angered, you didn't have to be an expert to see the deep disappointment written all over her face, if you could call it that.

There were many instances in life where the solid truth was far too much for a mere person to handle or embrace. It would often work against you and what you wanted to believe in this world. Many would fight for it. Many would fight against it, to change it by attempting to change the world and what formed it. And others, who didn't see the truth as a challenge to overcome, would bury their heads in the sand instead. Far more than many would like to believe. There were many people in the world who were simply incapable of handling the truth, and in turn, would ignore it, avoid it, even run away from it, or even attempt to rewrite it in their refusal or inability to accept it. Kim Possible was not among those people. Even if she did refuse to believe it, it wouldn't change anything. She knew it wouldn't, not that it ever did. But that wasn't to say she didn't find herself in a position where she didn't want to believe anything that was going on. But not just down here. She still had Ron in the back of her mind and it was agonizing just thinking about him. That weak and chilling voice, his pale skin, what could have been his last words, and the pain in his eyes, once filled with childlike wonder…

But now she was looking into the cold, piercing, almost psychotic grey eyes of perhaps her worst adversary, Valia Ryan – The same person who had helped her in so many ways and so much throughout the last month. Even though he walked a dark path filled with nothing but what could be argued as humanity's worst – crime, deceit, death, murder and slaughter in unimaginable forms – somehow he managed never to let go of the desire to escape from the bloody path he lived on, to seek his own light in life. It wasn't intended to be a well-kept secret, however. He knew far too much for his own good and had seen too much, things that would traumatize everyday people, turn them insane and completely break them. And yet, deep inside he still had the dreams and ideals of a teenager and wanted to see the world in a better light. And he wanted to make it happen. Even with Kim's life falling apart, when Ron wasn't there to support her, even though they weren't considered allies, for whatever reason he did. Although Kim never realized it, he saved her life numerous times in her solo missions when Ron was nowhere to be found. Even now Kim Possible needed help, more than ever without Ron, but Ryan wouldn't reveal himself as the one who helped her. He knew it would bruise her ego and what was left of her pride even more with her competitive hatred against him, especially then.

When she suddenly became a bounty prize, he presented her with everything he could concerning the situation. And despite everything she had done in an attempt to find Ron, he not only helped her find him, but also helped save his life, when in the past he always exploited the couple's feelings for each other as an overwhelming weakness in combat, and warned her the relationship could end up destroying her should something go awry. He would put the two in life and death situations not just to prove it, but prepare them for it. That said, contrary to popular belief, it wasn't done for the sake of showing that even Kim Possible could be beaten, to prove himself superior to the team, expose the flaws Kim had that could result in her downfall, and make her look weak by comparison; It was because he knew how much the two meant to each other. As a matter of fact, he didn't think something – the kind of deep young love the two had for each other – actually existed. Knowing this, it was only a matter of time before one or the other became seriously injured, or would face someone who wouldn't hesitate to torture one in unspeakable ways, and put the other in a helpless position and force them to watch just to hear the other scream as they were slowly mutilated and dismembered to death in front of their partner's own eyes, forced to be kept open. What seemed inconceivable to many, such things weren't unheard of to him.

Nana Possible warned her beloved granddaughter that the field of fighting to save the world and helping people wasn't just filled with glamour, fame, adventure, excitement, or as easygoing as many made it out to be. As skilled as Kim was and how safe she kept herself throughout the years, it had its consequences just like everything else in life. _Everything_ in life had a consequence attached to it, but this was different. It was an extremely dangerous field, one that could be filled with tragedy, heartbreak, trauma, remorse, loss, pain and suffering. On this path, she feared her granddaughter would experience things she would never want anyone else to ever face, and would never be the same person ever again. Things that could destroy her, things that would ruin her. Break her spirit and ruin the person she was forever. The strong and kind person she aspired to be and fought to become would be reduced to a dead spirit trapped in the cage of being kept alive, without a purpose, a vision, to truly live. But for Ryan it went far, far deeper than that, and he knew it better than Kim would ever realize. Compared to everything what he had seen, experienced and lost, in the last case physically, for her sake he hoped it would stay that way. There were just some things in life that should never change. Not ever. But now…

This was a person who had actually helped her out so much. And yet, he didn't really have a reason why.

Kim felt betrayed. Not by him but by reality. After everything he had done to help her, she just never imagined it coming down to this. She didn't want it to come down to this. It _never_ should have come to this. But this was the undeniable reality. Kim didn't want to believe it, but she wouldn't let her judgment be swayed by her emotions or what she wanted to believe. She knew just as much as anyone that nothing good ever came out of acting on them, but in the face of danger it would only guarantee failure in the worst possible way, especially against the likes of him. Acting on her feelings was perhaps the most colossal and fatal mistake and it would only get her killed, and she knew it. She wasn't familiar with the technology wrapped around the walls of this place, and as beautiful as it was, there was an overwhelming brooding feeling behind it. There could only be one reason he was down here in a place like this. There was no need for Yori to confirm her suspicions any longer. Something horrible was about to take place here, he had everything to do with it, and as long as they had the ability to stop him they would.

And there was so much that she didn't know. She didn't understand everything and there were still so many unanswered questions. Unlike every other mission she had been on with her other foes, she didn't know what he was truly up to, or why he would suddenly do this. It didn't help that Valia was among the most complex individuals she had ever met. He was nowhere as simple as everybody else she fought. She wasn't going to rest until she had some answers, or at least the answer to that one question spiraling in her mind. That one question that she couldn't get out of her head. That one question she had to know the answer to.

_Why?_

But Ryan was never one to get straight to the point, and today wouldn't be any exception. "Haven't you figured it out yet?" he asked calmly with sneering eyes. "You've made it this far, haven't you?"

He might have been her childhood friend, but Yori saw no reason to try to get through to him. He had to be stopped no matter what, even it if meant they were friends no more. "Ryan-kun! Cease this madness at once!" the Kunoichi demanded. "You don't realize the effect your actions will have on the entire human race!"

His expression was just as stiff as ever. "On the contrary, Yori-chan!" he yelled angrily with clenched fists. "I'm actually _**counting on it!"**_

"So that's it?" a frustrated and clearly disappointed Kim asked with her own clenched fists. "After all that's happened in the last few weeks, you're just going to end it all and destroy the world?"

The ancient machine in the back of the room continued to spin swiftly with its soft engines, but other than that there was nothing else to be heard inside the room. Although he hadn't shown it, Ryan was completely taken off guard by the question Kim had posed to him. There was definitely a feeling of confusion, skepticism and uncertainty just from the words that came out of her mouth. It was then that he realized the two truly didn't know what his intentions or reasons really were.

Sighing with his eyes closed, Valia faced down with a smile on his face. "_'Destroy the world'_, you say?" Then he opened his eyes and placed his gaze upon Kim. "Is _that_ what you think I'm after?"

The girls shot a quick glance at each other, puzzled by the words that just came out of his mouth. Kim was clearly the more confused of the two, and while Yori was confident in her fears, to say she wasn't quite puzzled herself was anything but the truth.

"So that's _not_ your objective then…" an uncertain Kim realized.

"No…" he said quietly as he turned his back to his guests, once again placing his attention on the growing orb in the back of the room, "But I can see why you would think that… how you would reach such a conclusion… But no, the destruction of the planet isn't exactly what I'm after…"

"Then what is it? What are you really after?" Kim demanded to know. "Tell me!" She may have been confused, but that didn't mean she wasn't skeptical.

Ryan wouldn't turn around to face her. He had his thoughts elsewhere, exhaling deeply as he tried to put them together in one piece. As he did that, the room started to become noticeably darker, dimmer as the light began to fade. Other than the energy ball forming in the back of the room, the only thing keeping the place from completely doing dark were the glowing blue lights in the carved crevices on the wall, flowing fluidly like light reflecting off of water, making the chamber appear no different than the top of the Tower. But the moment the lights faded, the orb had instantly released several specks of light into the area. It ended as soon as it started, and once it was all over, it looked as if it were a hologram of space, with thousands upon thousands of stars spread throughout the entire back area, all moving slowly to give off one of the most beautiful sights any of them had ever seen. It was truly something remarkable. And yet it only gave Ryan a better stage to perform on.

But he wasn't going to directly give Kim the answer she wanted. Closing his eyes, he sighed as he looked to the artificial ocean of stars before him.

"Take a look at the world around you… the very world you live in today… Just… let go of everything… and see it for what it is. Haven't you ever thought about the future? The fate of the world and humanity? When was the last time you truly, deeply thought about the future of the things… everything you hold dear… the direction this world is headed? Look at everything going on in the world today, Kim. There was a time when the world we lived in was kept alive by the goals, dreams, hopes and ideals of tomorrow, the freedom and ability to do _great_ things for the world and all of those who lived in it. To enjoy the gifts given to us in life… to enjoy the gift that _is_ life and everything in it. To do good things, spread the wisdom and knowledge to those around you, to encourage others to be themselves, never to give up on their dreams, their goals in life, to find love and pursue true happiness. Everyone at some point in their lives believed in these things, would live by them, would fight for them, and even _die_ for them, and never once doubted the thought that this was the way of the world, the possibility that this was the kind of world we could live in… We all believed at some point in our lives that the world could be a beautiful place to live in…"

Showing grief by the way he sighed and lowered his neck, he continued. The change in his mood was growing sudden.

"But things… are different now…" he growled, "No longer do we believe in doing good things in life, the right thing in life, make the best of the gifts we're given in our existence, seek true, pure happiness and spread the wealth, our wisdom, our joy, and our knowledge to those around us. We no longer believe in accomplishing great things for the world, to make great contributions to life itself, the society we live in, the existence of humanity, or to put an end to that which intends to bring harm upon us and especially other people. We used to take pride in standing up against all the evils in the world… the very thing we were put onto this world to _thrive_ fighting against… so many of us… every moment was worth it… we felt proud by fighting against it…" He growled angrily again. "…but things have changed. Let's be real, Kim. The society we live in has grown into nothing more than a cesspool of corruption… but not by those who hold power in the world… not by the rulers of the world… not by politics, the various belief systems of the world or the many things people want to blame for their problems… Society has been allowed to grow corrupt, and done by none other than the very people who live in it… You're not going to have that many people claim otherwise for the former, but you can bet most certainly the latter… and we all know that corruption only breeds destruction. Let's not pretend we have no awareness of this. Regardless of what people think, everyone recognizes it in some way or form no matter what they're taught or where they were raised in… And yet, what many don't realize… oh, who the hell am I kidding? What many just downright _refuse_ to acknowledge, is that much of what they do; their actions, their words, their pleasures and thoughts only _adds_ to this sick madness that harms people and furthers the decadence that will eventually destroy the society we live in. Everything. If they're not out there to _combat it, discourage it_ or even make an attempt to _stop it_ or put an end to it, to _destroy_ it, what else are they doing? More and more the everyday people of the world choose to engage in things they _know_ to be wrong, some that are just downright sick, disgusting and denigrating not just to themselves but also to those around them. But it's not because they don't realize what they're doing or they don't know any better… _On the contrary…_ many are more than _fully aware_ that they're only contributing to the growing cesspool that is only damaging and harming our so-called 'changing' society, becoming more void of _any_ decency and integrity with depravity taking its place. Only the most absolute idiot would find that acceptable or consider that a change for the better. People aren't as blind and naïve as we make them out to be, you two. Far from it. We are all subjected to this corruption at some point in our lives from everyday people and those around us. Our peers, friends, elders and enemies alike. People we once looked up to, people we've never even met. But we no longer call them out for what they are. We no longer call them out for what they do. No. When it comes what we _knew_ was evil, wrong and corrupt with our lives, with the world at one point, just what is it that we, the people of this world, do instead?"

That was when he turned around to face the girls. The light behind him turned him into a silhouette, with only a pair of psychotic blue and red eyes glowing through, powerful enough to pierce straight through the souls of both Kim and Yori. Neither of them ever thought such a look in someone's eyes could actually exist. It made him almost completely impossible to recognize. It was by no means supernatural, which made him even more frightening.

That was when he grunted at himself. "I have no need to tell you…" he continued, swiftly turning away from them again. They already knew, he told himself. "As long as it interferes and prevents us from engaging in life's 'pleasures'… as long as it keeps us from doing the things we _want_ to do, the things we 'enjoy', never before have we been so willing to throw away and betray our convictions, our values, ethics and the principles we supposedly held dear, our innocence, our dignity, decency and pride; _everything_ that _shapes us_ into _who we are_ and _what we become_…" he yelled angrily with a fist raised, "as well as the things we once believed in and everything we stood for, all out the window. When it comes to the desires in life that we unquestionably _know_ to be sick, disgusting, wrong, corrupt, harmful, absolutely unethical and downright immoral, oh we don't fight against it… We don't avoid giving into the temptation… and we certainly don't refuse it… When it comes to everything that's evil and wrong in the world, what do we do instead? _We __**embrace**__ it._ We _glamorize_ it. We _sympathize_ with it. _Romanticize_ it… _side_ with it… always with an army of excuses and so-called justifications pulled out of our asses to give ourselves the false comfort and validation that we haven't become one with it… And look how agonizingly pathetic we look in the process… a total disgrace. We tell ourselves we've done _nothing_ wrong, deny that we've done anything harmful, convince ourselves it's rather common and perhaps even _normal_… as if anyone's that brain-dead enough to believe that justifies it all… and many do, put on some fucking pretty innocent face while at it, and make every _desperate_ attempt to convince everyone in the world we still are. All in some _worthless, pathetic_ attempt to avoid and hide from guilt, personal responsibility, shame, or accept the fact that we've completely sold ourselves out, become something bad, and what we _**do**_ is not only self-destructive but _harms_ this fucking world, does anything but help it! _**All of this**_ because we simply don't want people pointing the finger and telling us what a disappointment we've become when they have _every right _to say so. Or call us something we are, something we don't like to hear, even if we fall under the damn definition of it word for word. How_ fucking selfish and egotistical… _But no, 'we mean no harm'… we're still… 'innocent'. _Bullshit._ Nothing but some artificial sense of self-satisfaction 'achieved' through our own pathetic lies, created and accepted by nothing more than pathetic individuals… We can't even come face to face with ourselves…" Then he briefly opened up his arms, chuckling angrily. "Welcome to the story behind the lives of many within the earth's population, drowned by the very lies they designed to protect themselves… and stupid enough to believe it would actually work…" He chuckled loudly, beyond aggravated. "Unbelievable, every ounce of it... that people are actually _stupid_ enough to think they could hide from the truth, dodge the consequences of their actions, deny who they've become and what they have _turned themselves into_, by _lies _and think the world are gullible enough to buy it?" he groaned. "Mankind's stupidity is beyond the point I find myself smiling and laughing at it without even knowing why… Oh, if only that were all of it…" he said, crossing his arms. "Good and evil are not limited to just entertaining fiction, you know…" he said with an unusual tone.

"Good and evil exist in several forms throughout the world, Ryan-kun," Yori lectured him, somewhat annoyed that the tone of his voice seemed to mock the concept.

He nodded without argument with his eyes half open. "Indeed… It is not something I would find myself arguing against…" In truth he was actually mimicking those he spoke of, who blew it off as empty rhetoric. "However, with the growth of certain products of the digital age, that has allowed the spread and justification of every sick, wrong, and terrible ideas, from people desperately seeking a means of achieving some fake sense of superiority over others, it's also allowed them to simply brush away the concept completely. Drop what they once believed in and stood for and, by demanding the empathy of others, telling them to do the same… and they have no shame in it. Get your voice out there to tell the world good and evil is nothing more than 'made-up'…" he grunted at the concept, "Nothing but empty rhetoric cooked up by brainwashed pseudo-intellects who want to think they're above authority and morality, laughingly bent on selling themselves as such for some meaningless sense of security. Either that, or so they can give themselves the bloated, fake assurance that they are somehow _'free'_." That was when Ryan had a sudden burst of laughter, until he slammed his human fist against the control unit. "Sell yourself and act as if you're better than everyone and know better than all of them, and they all see right through you and to see the real pathetically insecure attention-whoring self-inflated egotistical idiot instead! _'I am… more… free'_…" he said mockingly, "_Free_ from what? Reality? No, they're actually _running away_ instead from the laws of the world because it doesn't flow the way _they_ want it to. That's their escape. Pretend it all doesn't exist. Deny it all until you feel better. And they've done a damn fine job of brainwashing everybody else into seeing it their way. Despite what you hear from these insecure fakes who don't stand for something in life other than twisting shit around for a sick sense of self-enjoyment, good and evil is _not_ just some romantic idea that only exists because 'people made it up'. Pretend evil doesn't exist so you can engage in it without being labeled something you might not like or want to hear… and I'm told I'm wrong to believe these punks should never have things ever go their way and that they're not worthy of any respect? They're not afraid to admit they hate good things in the world, some aren't even afraid to admit they hate those who believe in good things, and they'd probably like it more of those kind of people were wiped off the face of the earth. Then they want to tell me, once they recognize the reaction of others, they don't mean what they say. Only an idiot would allow themselves to fall for that, even themselves. And yet, it's somehow worse and even _more_ criminal to call _them_ evil for it? Oh, that's right…" he said with a cynical and sarcastic tone, "No one likes to be called bad things so I need to be more 'sensitive'… Can't call a dirty slut a dirty slut even if they fit the definition. Can't call a worthless slacker a worthless slacker when he thinks he's entitled to success and wealth when he doesn't want to get a job but wants to smoke pot in his parent's basement and play Warcraft instead. Can't call a sell-out artist just that when they claim their morals prevent them from drawing explicit and sleazy material, when later their work consists of little or nothing else. Any label that negatively describes someone but rightfully so. You are what you are in this world. And in all of these cases these people have the audacity to put themselves in the role of the moral authority in that everyone else is wrong. Laughably ridiculous. But their sympathizers want to rewrite everything so I can't call people evil or sick because it's 'judgmental and intolerant' if not downright mean, and every god forbid I be _that_. That it's even more evil to judge others, worse than a murderer or a rapist!" more sarcasm. "Or I get some smartass pseudo-intellect wannabe asshole tell me that there is no evil." He hacked loudly in anger. "What a crock of shit, all of it… Do people even live on the same damn planet anymore? Face it, everyday people have evil qualities built into them and dwell deep within us… you, me, all of us… They can overcome us if we allow them to, and become just that – The very thing we were taught never to become. A shame. A complete disgrace. An embarrassment to mankind. An absolute failure with no interest of accomplishing anything that will help benefit the future. All of it self-destructive. And not once do we think of the humiliation we cause our parents and children alike because of what we do, or if they found out. What would they think? But we don't want to acknowledge it. We know it but we block it out. Too easy are people eager to dismiss their actions as harmful to others, or to recognize that harm. We even use the so-called argument that good and evil, right and wrong is _always_ to be questioned… but not to expand our thinking horizons and wisdom and how we view things with a clear mind. Not to challenge ourselves in how to handle certain ways of thinking. Philosophy is _not_ designed to be used to further one's agenda, and that's exactly what people have done with it. They have carelessly misused the word to argue that morality, reality and truth do not exist, questioning right and wrong for no purpose or reason other than _rebellion_…" he said with disgust and anger, "The ones who take _full_ advantage of and seek to _benefit_ the most from that idea are those who mindlessly revolt against what's considered right, normal and good, confuse loyal dissent with militant defiance so they can allow themselves to pretend such concepts don't even exist _and_ continue to pursue their self-serving interests with the bloated self-assurance they're not doing anything wrong or bad, simply because they say so or believe it. Pick and choose what really is right or good at their convenience…" Saliva flew out of his mouth as he grunted. "Refuse the existence of evil to _do_ evil without being judged… or so they want to tell themselves. Nothing more than an excuse for one to continue doing terrible things and allow them to happen… A sick justification at that… Throw away your conscience and tell yourself it never existed. You can convince yourself you are free of any wrong, just as many people in the world who have committed murder and rape, or influenced a good person into becoming a promiscuous drug addict or sell out by peer pressure. Perhaps because of that, you have child rapists, serial killers, predators, parents who murder their helpless children, dictators who kill hundreds upon thousands of their own people, those who are responsible for the spread of terrible influences in this world – and their friends who support them to no end, people who call for the end of certain races, countries, religions, those who practice them, or whatever else they simply _don't like…_ and for that reason alone regardless of how they claim otherwise." Angrily he raised his fist, or at least it was becoming short of one. "They are all a disgrace to human life and stall the evolution of _everything_ we can hope to achieve in this growing world, set it backwards in the name of change, rob good people of their true potential of what they can truly accomplish in this world, if not their lives. They aren't unlike disease and unless they show remorse or regret, they have no reason to be forgiven and _shouldn't_ be. I see no reason to forgive someone if they don't seek forgiveness or are unrepentant of their actions or thoughts. I don't even see why we're putting up with their shit in the first place. If they have no regrets then simply remove them from the society they're affecting, one that doesn't need them, one they have _no place in_ for abusing their rights… Destroy those who seek, by action or thought, the destruction of the good things in the world; order, faith, authority, morality, especially if it all means to serve them, them, _them_. These people will feign innocence and pretend they're the good guys all they like, sometimes truly believe it with no shame, but when you look at it, people like them, self-important scumbags who don't care what negative impact their actions may have on the world or other people, they are the reason the world is the shit hole it is now. They're the ones who make it an overall worse place to live in. But you can't even walk up to someone and say it to their face even if many would want to do the same. You can't say what _needs_ to be said without someone screaming at you or threatening your life. Because it's _'not nice'_, I'm told… Right…" he grunted. "The hell with them. Instead we're pretty much told to put up with their negative influence, lies, bullshit _or else_. And we _have_. We don't even have a backbone anymore. In the face of evil and the influence that _ruins_ _lives_ and turn potentially good people into nothing but self-righteous hypocrites, liars and lowlife scum, we've become soft and spineless. We're more concerned about being nice and not offending someone than actually _doing something_. Instead of being painted as cowards for turning the other cheek while terrible things happen when we have the full capability of stopping it, we place ourselves on the moral high ground instead, by choosing to 'understand', forgive and give a free pass to those who fucking kill, rape, torture and destroy for pleasure or self-serving interests, to show that we are _sympathetic_. Hah. Take out the 'sym' and that's exactly what it is… Showing sympathy for those who do evil doesn't make you _any_ different and places you on _their_ side… But we do not judge them as we, human beings, are given the _**authority**_ to do so. Have you ever noticed the difference between people who don't care whether others judge them or not, and those who bend their ass inside out backwards screaming at the world not to judge them? Why not? For _their_ benefit? They don't _like_ it? They don't _want_ to be judged? Because they know why they're being judged and are incapable of doing it for themselves? When you refuse to place judgment upon yourself without conceit, don't be surprised if everyone else does it for you. But somehow _no one's_ in a position to be of _any_ authority, we're told. So teacher asks you a question, you give the wrong answer, and you argue for hours straight that you are right? Even if we know better, we're not allowed to call things out as we see them, they tell us… These worthless pricks, in thought and mind, can be among _the most_ inhuman and desensitized beings you'd be disgusted to learn exist! But no, we're told that they are also human with thoughts and reasons no different than us… We're told it's morally and politically correct to _tolerate __**evil**_, when we should just do society a favor and wipe these worthless pricks – who the world would be a better place _without_, who are the core of bringing harm and spread terrible influence in the world – off the face of the earth! Or is that another 'old' way of thinking? Thinking from an 'outdated' era? 'Empty rhetoric' that has existed too long? Living in the past? Whatever other bullshit will they pull out of their ass next? We don't do anything _to stop these_ people from abusing their freedom and rights and their crimes against humanity, _permanently_. Instead…" that was when he grabbed his head and started laughing hysterically, "we feel _sorry_ for them! We _protect_ them! We even show _respect_ for them! We _forgive_ them and _want to see them __**walk free**_… But will we ever admit to such extreme accusations? Will we recognize such intentions may possibly, actually exist unconsciously? No, of course we won't. Too eagerly we don't. And yet we're still more concerned with the rights of _criminals_ over the rights of their _victims_; dead, alive, burned, tortured, beaten, mutilated, dismembered, scarred, raped, traumatized, left in a vegetative state and experimented on, whether it be their families, loved ones or themselves! True moral outrage by good, honest people is barely ever present anymore, silenced all by the worst hypocrites to walk this world, preaching morality down others' throats when their own lies questionable. Some fake, politically correct sense of it. Not because deep in our hearts it's right or wrong, it's because we don't want to come off as judgmental or mean, but instead 'open' and 'tolerant'. We cannot be truthful to ourselves if we are more concerned with how others think! We are more afraid of how _others_ will perceive us as than to **do something**or do what needs to be done! " What followed again was an almost non-human growl, "The irony that follows is agonizing. So by some delusional notion, by defending what we know to be wrong and evil, to let it slide and only allow it to continue to exist and destroy all that is good, to allow evil to endure, to allow these people to keep destroying their lives and others, and to allow crimes against humanity to continue, we somehow think _**that**_ places us on the moral high ground and the side of _**good**_ instead?" Unable to make sense of the words that came out of his mouth, grabbing his head Ryan was making some sort of strange noises that didn't sound by any means normal. The closest one could describe it was angered mumbling in the form of some kind of psychotic laughter. "My goodness all that is holy and hell… It never _ceases_ to amaze me _time and time again_ how undeniably brain-dead _**stupid**_ we've become and have allowed it to consume us! And even _that_ doesn't begin to describe it! Not even illogical… or irrational… All someone needs is to be given a chance to bring it all straight to hell… that's all they need…" He turned to face the girls again. But noticeably missing was the wide intense look in his eyes. Rather, an irritated and unimpressed look was written in them. "And spare me the bullshit about being _'sensitive, understanding, open-minded and tolerant'_," he said disdainfully. "_Only_ when I hear of such things being brought up and misused are by the same fools who have no sense of the meaning or understanding behind such words, who deny the reality that there are truly terrible people out there who deserve nothing but the same pain, death and suffering they seek to bring upon others and already have, and have not only already misconstrued, distorted and twisted their meanings to their liking, but use it as a crutch to support their own twisted demands and agendas for society… the same flawed, self-serving, self-defeating ideas that have only brought more harm to the world than good… the failed ideas of yesterday resurrected and neatly packaged as the 'new, inspirational ideas' of today. Oh the sweet, sour irony of it all… It's not often that people end up causing even more pain and corruption in the world in the name of what they call… _'peace'_." Shaking his head with a bemused smile on his face, he turned away from them again. "Tragic, isn't it? A wonderful painting with an unreal vision turns out to be nothing more than fresh vomit spewed all over a canvas. And being the predictable and ignorant scum we are, we absolutely refuse to see it for what it is. Because we don't like it. We don't want to accept it. So we lie to ourselves as we've done hundreds of times before… Never because we know any better… but as always… _by __**choice**_…"

With those words, all ten of his knuckles cracked just by the pressure of his clenched fists. The sound echoed throughout the entire chamber and was heard from every direction, as loud as ripping a cabbage in half inside an empty warehouse.

You couldn't expect any less when it came to Valia Ryan. He may have been extremely gifted (or cursed) with the combined abilities of a highly-skilled ninja, soldier and agent, considered a prodigy by martial artists and experts worldwide and feared by criminal undergrounds throughout the world. What took several practitioners of martial arts months to learn, he was able to acquire and master it in just days. And much like a certain someone else present in the room, he could almost instantly and easily adapt any move or style used against him and add it to his own endless arsenal of moves. But in the criminal underworld he was karma and judgment, an unstoppable machine of pure destruction. He never left a bloody scene without being completely unscathed, no matter how many clips of ammunition, knives, missiles and explosives were used against him. It was useless. A message from him was a message from death. Fall under his radar, he would let you know, and there was nothing you could do to stop him. It was only be a matter of time before he would rob you of your power and your rights. Not your rights from whatever country you lived in, but whatever rights you thought you were entitled to as a human being. All he needed to do was simply trigger someone's fears and they would be reduced to nothing. Even the most powerful tyrants in the underworld were scarred on the psychological level, driven insane not just by being seized of their power and pride completely, but Ryan's almost inhuman and raw lack of empathy the entire time as he brutally beat them near death. They would demand that he end their life as a means to end their suffering, to escape from their torment in fear and despair. But Ryan would laugh at them and simply deny them that luxury, and the thought alone tormented them even more. They wouldn't be allowed to escape so easily. And that was when they learned life was actually a far worse fate than death. As it would turn out, Ryan was only giving them a taste of their own medicine. And then some. Not even a hardcore pacifist would say they didn't deserve it, and Ryan's list had already surpassed thousands. He was a ghost that couldn't be killed, feared by those he encountered as the true Angel of Death.

But not Kim Possible. If there was one feature that made him stand out against every other adversary she had ever faced, it wasn't his skills as an espionage expert, knowing many of the world's top-kept secrets. It wasn't his excruciatingly brutal, merciless and violent methods of fighting evil, not hesitating to torture or dismember his victims if it meant preventing them from using a weapon _ever_ again. It wasn't that he knew exactly how to manipulate anyone on the psychological level to his advantage and would completely turn a fight in his favor by simply getting under someone's skin. It wasn't that he was trained in the arts of an agent, soldier and ninja at a young age, and that in many ways, was a far more skilled combatant than she was, to the point where he could have completely been out of her league.

It was the fact that the moment he opened his mouth, he simply did not shut up, and he was anything but a fast speaker.

And it was ironic. Outwardly, in the absence of danger, many mistook the scar-faced teenager (not that many recognized him as one) as a total mute; a completely silent individual who didn't seem interested in talking to anybody. Didn't socialize, didn't seem interested in making friends, didn't even make an effort to hit on cute girls. But few would realize that what he did for a living – seeking every danger and evil for the sole intention of putting an end to it, _permanently_ regardless of the cost or method – never would have allowed him to get involved with other people unless he wanted to put their lives in danger. And he never sought out or desired attention from those around him. To him it was nothing more than pre-adolescent behavior; an insecurity that, like many, only showed how truly weak and pathetic an individual was deep inside, and almost everyone was in his eyes. There was no sense in seeking attention and recognition from those who would probably end up stabbing you in the back anyway, who wanted you to become someone else, even their puppet, to appease their tastes at the cost of one's own human decency. To hang yourself while ravens devoured away at your skin for their pleasure. And changing yourself for them made you even more worthless than you already were. Such things would come to you on their own, but to seek them out for yourself was the way of the fool. A senseless concept at best with the same result every time, he would tell you, but that's not to say that was the only reason. Never in his life were his morals, views or beliefs – handed down to him by the wisdom, knowledge and common sense of the martial artists he was raised by, along with a young woman he would know best as his mentor – ever considered popular, agreed, accepted, or even tolerated by society's norm. Witnessing again and again how people destroyed themselves and others through the choices they made, ignoring the wisdom or advice of others, and becoming more frustrated each time, he already knew he lived in a world where no one would share his views, thoughts, values and tastes, and many would hate him for it if they hadn't already. If there was a good reason for it, he had yet to hear it, and would laugh and hate them until then. He lived in a world where no one was interested in them, would never accept them nor would they ever respect them. But he would hold onto them even beyond the gates of heaven or hell, and there was no power in the world that would change that. He knew people who truly believed in doing the right things in life were always demonized just for believing in such a thing. Criticized, condemned, hated even. Because they came with limitations, restrictions and boundaries, and people had to live by them whether they liked it or not, unless they wanted to fall prey to the same choices that have already harmed, poisoned and even doomed many others. Most people would argue that it was not his place to even discuss such things, given all the blood on his hands, but he felt he had seen well more than enough to. People would say all the time that it was hard to do the right thing in life, it was difficult to make the right choice, or it was hard to be a good person.

Ryan would not only laugh at you if you told him that, but he'd probably deliver some free dental work by punching you straight in the face, feeling disgusted to be in the presence of weak and lazy people filled with whiny excuses, quitter-talk, a self-pitying attitude, quickly giving up against the everyday battles against yourself, and refusing to realize such excuses are formed by one's own poor choices when they knew right from wrong completely. He had a word for those kinds of people, who didn't have it in them to do anything but give up and fail, and were too lazy to try to better themselves, or believed success should come to them without fighting or struggling for it.

"Losers"

It wasn't that it was difficult to do the right thing. Not at all; it was just too easy to do the _wrong_ thing. Not knowing the difference between right and wrong when examples were laid everywhere was no excuse, especially if you blew them off or ignored them as most did. Even more if it were done in deliberation. But it _was_ hard doing the right thing in a world that would spit upon you for it, and fearing the backlash you'd be guaranteed to face from others. Not from criminals and their henchmen; people with money, power, weapons and their suits who broke all the rules, made themselves above the law and could do whatever they wanted – but from _everyday people_. People you would encounter on the net, chat rooms, workplace, the grocery store, traffic, even your neighborhood. And people _hated_ to be told they were wrong in what they did or how they lived, what they did or if they were a terrible influence, even if it were true. They told him to mind his own business when the way they lived affected other people. For that purpose he wouldn't. And Ryan was more than certainly aware that most people, if not everyone, wanted absolutely nothing to do with what he had to say in the first place, especially if they themselves were the source of their own problems, didn't want to be judged or held accountable for their actions, what they brought upon themselves and eventually dragged everyone else down in, or be told that they only contributed to everything that was wrong and corrupt in the world when their actions did exactly that and they _knew_ it, but did everything they could to deny it to free themselves of any guilt, or the simple fact they didn't want to hear it. They didn't want to listen. Denial. Block it out. No consequence. No lesson. Nothing to learn. A free ride with nothing to gain.

Deny man the ability to fall, and you doom him to failure. Not that people weren't responsible for it themselves.

But when Valia Ryan broke his silence, most people including Kim wouldn't attempt to interrupt him. For her, she knew he was skilled enough that he wouldn't allow it, especially given his tone and the strange noises he was making, and he was capable of brutally punishing her for it regardless of her attempts of defending herself. He was the one person she couldn't underestimate, and she had already made the mistake many times before. For everybody else, it was from the fear of getting killed. But none of it mattered to him. He didn't care how you felt about what he said. He didn't give a damn whether you agreed with him or not. His convictions didn't require your approval. He could care less if it made you cry or made you angry, and he would most definitely embrace it if you wanted to kill him, especially if you tried, if it would all prove one's own level of intolerance when they demanded the world tolerate and accept them. Hypocrisy and chaos was a beautiful thing in the eyes of the deranged, and what other reason would people sympathize with it? But as long as he was saying what he believed to be the truth, based on everything he had experienced and seen around the world with his own two eyes, blood, death, the many mutilated and burnt corpses, those who admitted they had ruined their lives by making poor choices and going down the wrong path, pressured by others or their own choice, and those who wouldn't admit it, and what he believed to be the many sources of such influence, he didn't care who he offended or insulted. And if someone was, just because there might have been some truth in it, because he said what he felt _needed_ to be said, or because he wanted to believe in something right in a time where many wouldn't, despite his diminished hope and faith, it would say far more about the listener than him, the speaker. And they would deserve it, he would tell you. He could sit in a room with the most smug and arrogant S.O.B. sitting across from him, murderers who were above the law, protected by the police or politicians, anyone who was practically on top of the world, and in minutes that person would be in tears with suicide on their mind. Whatever he said, he made them feel completely worthless and that the world was better off without them. He would completely break somebody and destroy one's ego, pride or self-esteem if it meant to completely wake them up, and he would never hesitate to.

He had absolutely no tolerance for the excuses, explanations, any of the debate on what was right or wrong and good or evil if there was a self-serving agenda behind it, or, to bluntly put it, "bullshit". And he didn't have to. He was _not_ going to be told what to believe in or 'open himself to' if it went against everything he believed in. No one was going to tell him what he _should_ put up with, accept or tolerate, and someone would be removed from the crime scene in numerous body bags if they ever dared to have the audacity to tell him what he _should_ "_embrace"_. As far as he was concerned, people whose principles changed or shifted based on the popularity the positions of others never had them to begin with, and they weren't worth a damn second of his breath. To call them weak and pathetic fools was an insult to fools everywhere. Only a weak-minded drone would allow the popularity of other positions to changed their commitment, or lack thereof. What was wrong yesterday was still wrong today. Bad influence is bad influence. Fatal mistakes are fatal mistakes. Crimes are still crimes. Acts of lust and greed are still acts of lust and greed. And so on. He didn't care for the reasons. He wasn't going to listen to any "yeah, but…"s. You mean what you say, you say what you mean. Actions weren't any different. Of course people would deny they had any real bad intent, but it could still fully exist on the unconscious level deep inside and be unaware of it. He wasn't going to waste his time with grey, subjective or relative philosophy if it meant to deter him away from the point in a deliberate setup to perhaps justify it. Those who would step aside and simply allow society's evils to continue to grow and corrupt the lives and minds of many were nothing but spineless cowards in his mind, and deserved to be treated, punished and beaten like the criminals they supported and sympathized with regardless of their reasons. They claimed not to support it, yet would allow it to continue no differently than someone that did.

Evil and its many forms, in its attempts to grow and spread like every other disease in the world, would always seek the sympathies if not the acceptance of others and those around them.

And he was among the most hated individuals in the world for saying such things. But you couldn't just simply shut him out. He wouldn't let you. To him it would only prove the hypocrisy of those who preached, as he put it, the 'BS about being sensitive, understanding, open-minded and tolerant'. People demanded the world accept them and have their voices heard; and you had no _choice_ but to listen to unless you wanted to be labeled as prejudice, close-minded, judgmental, intolerant, even racist or whatever other terms they tried to throw at you and misuse in their favor; as if _you_ should feel guilty and wrong instead. Not because they had anything productive or good to say, not because it was something that _needed_ to be said for the sake of truth, but to shove it down everyone's throat that they couldn't be silenced or changed when they had anything but selfless intent, abusing their so-called freedoms and rights to provoke, ridicule and annoy those they didn't _want_ to agree with, even if it meant going as far as hate speech or defending it. But when it came to everyone else who didn't and wouldn't share their views, that same person would deny the same luxury to everyone else in the world or block them out, when everyone else had no choice but listen to them. It wasn't right, but people put up with this crap and were made to feel guilty if they didn't, and Ryan refused to be among those suckered into it. And he was the last person on earth to ever go with the flow of something and be a complete tool. More people to find nothing but absolute disgust in.

The world was falling apart. And he knew why and what was causing it.

The very people who lived in it.

And those responsible deserved no mercy.

He didn't want to hear their excuses or attempts of justifying themselves. It never changed a thing or made any difference. Actions spoke louder than reason.

Those who justify their crimes, support or sympathize with criminals and evil should be treated as such, along with everything else wrong in this world.

They deserved to be punished. Every single one of them.

Not just for what they brought upon themselves. But everyone else as a result of it.

With the same pain, harm and lies their so-called everyday actions brought to the world.

They weren't naïve. Humans were a manipulative species who often knew exactly what they were doing and would purposefully misconstrue the truth to their liking.

A normal person saw no need to prove themselves right to other people. Their actions alone would determine that. Others would see it in them. There was nothing for them to hide. They did not fear judgment from others when they were able to judge themselves without conceit and knew the truth of who they were.

On the other hand, he found it disgraceful that others had to put up a fight to prove they weren't wrong or the monsters others accused them of being. They were overly defensive of their actions, knowing full well what others would rightfully and accurately perceive them as. 'It sounds like it but it's not' Not because they cared about how they affected other people, but how others perceived them. To protect their hidden lives that they didn't want everyone else to know about – even though they'd still say they weren't wrong – or were instead overly open about it to the wrong audience. They did not want to be judged by other people because they weren't capable of doing it for themselves. Why would that be?

Great people aren't filled with excuses. But he could easily tell you terrible people certainly were.

If one were to look into the eyes of Valia, they would see nothing but the intense blood-stained hatred in them. Just the thought of these people being defended, their actions justified by others, the emboldening of those who should _never_ have anything ever go their way in life… all of it was driving him insane to the point where he spit with every word. But his anger wasn't fueled by simple disagreement. Inside, nothing told him this was right, that this was by any means normal. No. These people with harmful thoughts or actions, especially if they harmed or influenced others, they weren't supposed to just walk away and let bygones be bygones by their own calling. They weren't supposed to be owed or rewarded with empathy. They weren't supposed to be allowed chances with no ultimatum. They were supposed to suffer and pay. To wake them up and make them learn from their mistakes. Or be brought upon the same shame and pain they inflicted on others. It was only fair, wasn't it? That was the Golden Rule, wasn't it? Or karma? That being good and doing what was right was supposed to bring you joy in life, while doing wrong was supposed to bring harm? Weren't people supposed to suffer the consequences of their actions to learn from them? How else would one learn from doing wrong again without being judged? How could one recognize what is truly good if they refuse to even acknowledge what is truly wrong? More than ever he witnessed as good people who should have led this world be treated like garbage instead. Attacked by the very people they protected. Spit upon by those they tried to help. People attempted to ruin their lives, silence them, and deem them insignificant simply for what they believed in, while bad people were looked up to and seen as heroes for freedom and hope. And much to Valia's devastation, for far too long he had witnessed as good-hearted, pure and innocent people become completely corrupted simply because they witnessed the actions and listened to the words of people they should have had nothing to do with, coming across as everyday or 'intellectual' people. And he wanted it to stop. People never took responsibility for themselves. As long as they thought they could get away with something, no matter how wrong it is, they would do it. A feeling of power over something other than oneself. What many failed to realized was that example led others to believe it was acceptable, and thus chose to follow that example. There were just some things in life that just couldn't be rewritten, and only a total idiot would believe any of it was instantly for the better.

Rolling his eyes, Ryan shook his head as he stared at the display above him, letting out a frustrated sigh. "I have heard people claiming themselves as 'intellects' pose the question whether people should actually suffer the consequences of their own actions, as if it were somehow morally wrong for them to… Yes, they _SHOULD_ have to suffer the consequences of their own actions! That is how they learn how to be responsible choice next time and not fucking repeat it!" Followed was an agitated groan. "…Or so I would like to believe… but in rewriting everything in the name of _'moving forward', 'a new direction', 'progress'_, '_intellectualism'_ or whatever laughable phrases people use and fake to make themselves and their beliefs sound pathetically superior, instead we allow them to _dodge_ the consequences, and by doing so regardless of the intent, we _encourage_ these 'mistakes'; poor, irresponsible, stupid and harmful choices to be repeated over and over and over again and again and again… And people want to know why it's allowed to happen when life turns on them. They demand an answer they can easily figure out for themselves. We don't punish these worthless pricks to teach or make an example of them. To make sure they _never_ do it again, to _discipline_ them, when it never should have happened in the first place when examples are laid out all over. The stories of others through their experiences, seeing how they screwed themselves over and ruined their chances at success, the morals of stories played out in cartoons, badly-written sitcoms, newspapers and common sense of all things… to learn not to do the stupid shit others have come to regret, suffered or died from. But the greatest lesson comes from that of human _history_, to attempt to succeed where others have failed numerous times before in a consecutive streak… Alas, if human nature truly indicates anything, people have always chosen to ignore it and will only continue to." With a depressed sigh, he shook his head. "You know… I have always found something to appreciate from the knowledge and wisdom of those who have helped shaped our history and the world into what it is today… the great leaders of the world who knew what it meant to make difficult, unpopular but necessary decisions during difficult times throughout the millennia… and felt it was their obligation to pass on what they knew, from both their successes and failures, onto the future… to remind us… and to _warn_ people like us…" Another frustrated sigh, "But nowadays their words, their great wisdom, the things they have said, are quickly blown off as nothing but empty rhetoric. I'm told to stop 'living in the past'. How disgraceful… Ignore the lessons of history… and that's _exactly_ how it will repeat itself… and why people will suffer… And then they'll wonder why. Heh. Because of such idiotic statements. This is what they call moving toward the future, by turning the lessons of history into legend with no relevance to today. Laughable… just laughable… To learn from the past, or to live in ignorance… That's the penalty of refusing to listen to anything in their attempt to live their so-called 'free' life… But watch. Give it time and it will be so common and frequent that you will see people make their attempts in justifying it. But when they suffer from their actions when warnings were available at every corner, do you think they'll take responsibility and blame themselves? No. They will feed you every excuse they possibly can to make it sound as if they didn't know any better and were naïve, when ironically, they were more than fully aware from the very beginning that it was a deliberate unwillingness to listen because people are bent on this frustratingly idiotic and distorted idea of 'individual freedom' telling themselves they're above the rules of the world and standards of society with some fake superior, pseudo-intellect, self-righteous, and at times, pompous, elitist, I-know-more-than-you narcissistic attitude that makes them worthy of having their head engraved into a brick wall… and to disagree with them somehow means you're incapable of thinking for yourself, or that you are 'void of intelligence' and whatever impressive words they force themselves to use to make themselves feel high and mighty. Little people acting like snobs. Idiots… and yet they have no idea that just about everyone can see right through them and come to witness how unbelievably pathetically insecure they really are, instead running away from everything because they don't want to make the effort to change themselves and become better people from it. To improve oneself. Ironic when you think about it; In an effort not to come off as a failure they need to make themselves feel more superior over others even if it means stepping on them, selling themselves as something great when in the end they're just tiny little insecure mutants and fail even more. What the hell do these rejects hope to accomplish from these acts of rebellious stupidity and feigning intellect? Bedtime stories for your grandkids telling them what an arrogant asshole you were and how much of a complete and total jackass you were?" He groaned angrily, knowing an answer wouldn't change a damn thing. "It's so pathetically apparent what holes these fools dig for themselves… But in the end… it's always the same; _they're_ somehow the _real_ victim…" he said sarcastically. "_They didn't know any better. They didn't have harmful intentions. Nobody was hurt. They didn't mean to hurt anyone. Everyone else is jumping to conclusions instead, and don't know the full story…_ And people think _I'm_ an arrogant asshole… Unintended consequences?" He growled loudly with aggravation again. "With everything we do, we feign innocence, intellect and ignorance. And just with every other lie we manipulate and deceive others with, they eat it up every time. Just another idiotic self-serving, self-defense mechanism we're stupid to believe works, and even more stupid are the gullible, vulnerable, ignorant, misguided drones that it actually works against. You would think that with all the harm being brought into this world in all its various forms, some would at least make even just the _slightest_ attempt to bring some honesty, nobility, morality… _**order**_ in its original meaning back into this world gone mad, infested with lies, chaos, deception, selfishness and hatred. For once to stop being lazy, whiny-ass bitches, get off our asses and actually do something good for the world and _accomplish something_ for a change, to stop letting our biases and 'fears' prevent us from doing something and _fight for what's right_ for a change. Encourage what's right, prevent the encouragement of what isn't, and completely discourage what we all know to be wrong. Stop acting on emotion, be wise and think things through without conceit. And stop with this bullcrap of this 'what is right?' indecisive infinite-loop no-one-can-make-up-their-damn-mind nonsense. Play your role in this world. And stop relying on others to pick your ass up for you and being dependant on them. It's one thing when you've fallen and you're struggling to get up, and it's another when you make no effort to pick yourself up and throw your arm in the air instead, telling people it's the right thing for _them_ to take the time to pick _your_ sorry ass up. People can be nice but only an idiot believes it's something _owed_ to them. It could be as simple as that. But _no_. People – no matter where they stand in this world – believe they are given the 'intelligence' to place themselves in a position where they are free to distort, corrupt, rewrite and reinterpret proven facts, the lessons of history, the rules and laws of the world, the meanings and definitions of words; freedom, love, truth, justice, evil, '_man'_ for crying out loud. That somehow they're above what that is written in solid stone, it is free for them to manipulate however they see fit, all to their convenience and liking…" he said sarcastically. "That's not _intelligence_, that's complete and absolute _arrogance _insteadand mindless, childish_ contempt _against what you cannot change, but don't want to accept it. But for what? To prove their opinion needs to matter with complete disregard whether they are right or wrong?" He grunted loudly. "_'_Oh, we're so sorry you 'disagree' with the definition of love, and that 'your definition' is worth caring about. Please, enlighten us and change what's written in word and what _everyone else_ has chosen to agree with and believe in, because _you're_ not satisfied and want to have it your way…' you little shit… To do this we make a pathetic attempt to come off as some deep-thinking 'intellect' – who has seen all, knows all, has all the answers, despite never leaving the damn house and refuses to listen to those who know better and have experienced more because we may be wrong and don't want to be – and as a result, look even more fake than an adult film star wearing a cross necklace, and will argue _anything_ and do whatever it takes to prove we are not wrong, even if it means trying to prove an _opinion_ as _fact_. This is why people in the wrong _love_ to debate. A battle of wits. Whoever looks smarter, uses larger words, presents themselves as an intellectual and uses 'logic' to convincingly bend and twist everything around. As long as they can outsmart somebody else and make themselves seem superior in knowledge, _regardless_ of any truth or fact, whoever wins is the one who is smarter and therefore, the one who is right." It sounded like Ryan could barely contain himself. "Is this some sort of joke? To actually equate the two?" That was when Ryan burst into laughter. "How absurd! What is this, logic over truth? Just because you can convince anyone of anything does _not_ mean you will not be wrong!" He sounded so disgusted. "The lengths that people will go to, to challenge the most _simplest_ of things… We live in a world with such concepts that don't require the most in-depth explanation. Life really is that simple. But no. People are so concerned with complicating things to the point where we completely ignore what's going on right before our very eyes. Someone could get stabbed right in front of you, but the first thing to come to mind isn't murder, but instead what drove the person to do such a thing, as if everyone's justified to do terrible things and if their reasons changed everything that's happened… and somehow we are more wrong to judge their actions as vile, wrong or evil… _'Who are we to judge the murderer?'_ I've been asked. To imply that judging him is more evil than his acts… What the _hell_ is going on with this world?" Ryan couldn't believe what he was saying. He just shook his head wishing his head was bleeding, wishing _that_ was the cause behind some of the statements he heard and was repeating. "In the mist of evil we've chosen not to take action about the things we've seen harm our world, our society and those who live in it, much of which we choose to deny anyway. It becomes far too frequent when it takes over. We make little to _no_ attempt to weaken it or cease its occurrence even though many of us know _damn well_ _that's_ what we were placed on this earth for. To _fight_ _against_ evil, to _destroy_ its influence, not fucking _embrace_ it! We've chosen not to get involved and eagerly turn the other cheek when terrible things happen, ignoring the fact that the majority of problems in the world only _continue_ to grow worse when _nothing is done _to_**stop**__ them_. We're told it's not right to interfere, but we are more wrong in not doing a thing! Only a fool takes pride in being a coward! No. We simply allow for the continuation of that which we all know contributes to the growing cesspool that is molding and poisoning our society and those who live in it. We hide it, we ignore it, bullshit ourselves into denying that anything truly bad will come of it… even to the point where we hypnotize and convince ourselves there's _absolutely_ _**no**_ wrong in it… Lie to yourself enough times and you eventually begin to believe it… and it makes it _so much_ easier when there are others who support or contribute so such things. And there are even those who absolutely like it. So that must mean it's 'fine', right? Why the hell should we bother when 'everybody else does it'?" he asked sarcastically. "_Popularity_… _that alone_ should tell you something's not right and only a worthless fool would attempt to equate the two… Hah! Look at us! We're reducing ourselves to simple high-school mentality for crying out loud! We resort to just about anything to keep ourselves from even _thinking_ we're wrong. Why do we let it pass? Why do we allow it to continue? Why is it that we continue to refuse to do what is necessary to cease the growing depravity that continues to infect our society like a contagious parasite, along with everything else we know to be wrong out there in the world? Why do we ignore it? Why do we embrace it? Why to we cheer for it? Why do we glamorize it? Why do we entice it? Why do we encourage it? Why do we _support it?"_

A series of rhetorical questions. Breathing loudly, frustrated and enraged, with saliva spraying between his teeth with each breath, Val put the palm of his right hand across his forehead and slid it down his face, exposing his entire right eyeball with little to hide the psychotic glare in it and the blood veins on it. Almost as if he were aware of this, he turned around to face the girls again.

"I will tell you… The answer is so abysmally simple you'd want to tear your arm to shreds with a nail and cheese grater…" he growled. You could almost hear his teeth grind from the forced, angered smile on his face. "Why is it that we continue to allow bad things to consume our lives and rape us of our dignity, decency and nobility, almost willingly? Simple. Because we _enjoy_ it… It _pleases_ our tastes… It provides us _pleasure_… We have no shame. No dignity. No conscience. And we. _Love it_…" he answered, followed by a bizarre-pitched laughter barely blocked by cringed teeth, and one filled with endless disappointment. "Feed us the corruption for us to bathe in its dark pleasure… We allow ourselves to become so pathetically weak and be pulled into these dark desires as if we had no strength over ourselves whatsoever. We reduce ourselves to nothing so eagerly it's embarrassing. Oh, and how so _many_ of us try to paint it as 'harmless' and 'innocent'… What better choice of two words to rape the meaning of… I suppose it wasn't enough with the meaning of 'truth'… and how so many others hide behind an endless multitude of excuses to justify and convince themselves that, 'they're not wrong'. Hah! All of them, nothing short of delusional idiots living in a fantasy world with a dire need of a reality check for believing it, and we're even worse for buying it, more so if we're being supportive of them. It's no wonder people learn nothing these days. Fake comfort. Nothing more than lies to avoid the guilt and shame of being painted as terrible people by others and ourselves when we've done everything to earn it. Everlasting lies that do nothing but consume the souls of the weak. That is why we resort to such many terrible, disgusting things in the world. They provide us… _happiness_…" he said with a rather sarcastic smirk in his lips, one that instantly turned into an angered frown. "At least a pathetic, false sense of it, anyway. Artificial happiness; far more common in the everyday lives of hundreds if not thousands, more than we'd all like to believe. And here I thought only substances attributed to that, but it turns out that we ourselves are at fault… How mistaken I was… but none of it surprising at the least… And yet it never ceases to amaze me. We've lost our principles, convictions, nobility, decency and dignity so we can achieve our selfish desires, even at the cost of other human beings, and with no consideration toward them. Throughout our lives from our childhood to old age, we're taught by many to avoid the temptations of our darkest and sickest desires, those hidden urges we know deep inside is horrible and wrong, do nothing but bring us and those around us harm, and destroy who we are as people and everything we've become – things we do nothing but hide from other people. All of it. Disgusting, revolting, sickening, repulsive, evil and just plain…" then he grunted loudly, "_wrongsick_…"

As in-depth as Valia's angered ranting was, there was one detail he was suspiciously missing. While he spoke much of people's intentions behind their actions, he didn't exactly list specific examples of what those actions were. While Kim had a broad idea of what he was talking about, Yori didn't.

"You speak of malicious intent and what drives people to do things they will grow to regret in life…" Yori interrupted, "things that shame… dishonor them… have been proven to harm them and other people… if not in body, then in mind… but… you haven't exactly explained what those things _are_… what it is that people 'engage' in, as you put it? You can't speak of everything in the world. Exactly what is it that you speak of?"

Valia didn't even take a breath before answering back. "Fill in the blank, my dear friend… I don't need to give you any direct examples… Think of _anything_ in this day and age that summons our conscience even at the slightest level, that we or others may find relative to what's right and wrong – in which we have _choices_ available to us - and you will know _exactly_ of what I speak…" he finished angrily.

It was then that something caught Valia's mind. For as long as Yori had been a ninja, she had restricted most of her life in the mountains to the Yamanouchi Top Secret Ninja School. Only under certain circumstances would she step foot into the outside world and see it for what it is, but for the most part she was faithful to the school, loyal and Sensei's teachings. It wasn't by force, but by choice and hers alone. This was a stark contrast to another one of Yamanouchi's finest, one who chose to wander the earth, curious and eager to learn about different societies and cultures worldwide. To find the meaning behind their own existence, their purpose in life, and make their own difference in the world. Unfortunately, the only thing that being came to see was nothing but pain, death and suffering of innocent and good people. He was taught that in the face of evil, in its many forms, the everyday people of the world would stand up and rise to combat this evil until it was no more. But not a single person was willing to take action to put an end to it. They did nothing and allowed it to happen. He couldn't grasp why. He would only continue to see the same thing in different forms everywhere he went. Cities, countries, continents. Third and first world countries alike. There was no end in sight, and he would soon realize that. But learning to combat the many forms of evil throughout his travels, one endless fight after another, he desperately wanted to learn exactly where all of this evil truly stemmed from.

But it wasn't long before he found his answer: The hearts and minds of every human being on the planet.

And the more people he met, the more the similarities between so-called everyday people and criminals – those with blood on their hands – became. The same egotism, lack of patience, lack of ethics and morals, no ambition to do great things in life, intolerance, greed, narcissism, self-justification, ignorance, conceit, recklessness, the need to always be right, the refusal to be wrong, feeling entitled, irresponsibility, dependence on others, arrogance, self-righteousness, self-centeredness, lack of self-control, disrespect, elitism, fake intellect, eagerness to blame others, reinterpreting facts and definitions, conniving dishonesty with no regard to future generations, no convictions, not caring if they ended up being responsible for the end of everything, and ultimately, their excuses; they shared it all. He began to see why people were killed and why they suffered. How people's mistakes harmed them and others along with them. It didn't matter one's age, nationality, race, faith, beliefs, maturity, productivity, gender, ideals, culture, tastes, experience or education.

They were all the same. Everyone.

He'd almost forgotten that Yori hadn't seen the things he had. Not even a fraction of it. But he knew that she wasn't naïve, either. She was trained in the art of the ninja. As was he.


	29. 27: The Lullaby of Passionate Hatred P2

**Chapter 27-2: The Lullaby of Passionate Hatred (Part 2)**

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* * *

**But if there was one thing all three of them knew, as individuals who chose to fight against crime and evil, was that that no matter what people wanted to do with their lives, no matter what choices or decisions they thought about or made; _everything_ they did, no matter how big or small, would impact and affect those around them. There was no such thing as a decision, an action, a choice, that never impacted anyone outside of oneself. There was no way around it. There was no such thing as a choice that impacted the lone individual. People were defined in this world by the choices they made. It was written all over them. One could learn the choices people made simply by learning what kind of people they were. People who were good. People who weren't. People were influential even when they didn't try to be… when they didn't want to be… sometimes when they shouldn't have been. Sometimes it would give other people ideas and different ways of viewing things. In a perfect world that would often be something positive. But common sense and history would dictate that just because these views and ideas were seen as an alternative, it didn't automatically mean they were totally void of being extremely flawed or just downright wrong.

These were merely simple traits the three found in many of the enemies they had fought against. But it wasn't limited to just that…

It wasn't that any of them wanted to tell people what to do with their lives or boss them around. Quite the contrary. It wasn't important to them what choices people made for themselves. But the moment those choices affected another and brought them harm in body or mind, it was. They knew that when someone's certain choices began to affect someone other than themselves, in many cases life-changing, the line had to be drawn and something had to be done. When it wasn't, it had the potential of growing into something destructive and could lead to harm or tragedy.

And sometimes, they had to stop people from making these choices. The right thing wasn't always well-liked. Many times the contrary.

Every thought, every action, great and small, always had an effect on something in this world. And there were some who claimed that each and every one only brought the world closer to ruin. However, far too many people were eager to brush, blow off, and flat out deny the existence or many of the world's potential harms without even a second of thought. Life on earth was anything but a paradise. Valia, who willingly exposed himself to things most people couldn't even begin to conceive in their darkest and sickest imaginations (and sought to destroy it for that very purpose), knew most than a high fraction of the world's population there was actually _very __much_ to fear in life, in this world. To believe otherwise meant those who made the sacrifice and effort to fight and keep those dangers at bay while everyone else slept, ate, enjoyed the luxuries of life and took them for granted, were doing one hell of a job; if they made it seem that those dangers posed very little or no threat, that things were safer than they really were. If you were to tell him that many things in life were completely harmless, non-threatening or nothing to really worry about, not only would he call you an embarrassing idiot, but he would completely back up his reasoning why he knew otherwise to make you feel like it, regardless of how informed you thought you were. Many, many things in life truly were. And perhaps among the most dangerous were the very choices people made. There were times where all three had to take it upon themselves to stop people from making the wrong ones. Not to control them, but instead help them make the right ones.

Of course, that would actually mean something if people in the world hadn't grown as tremendously stubborn, arrogant, self-righteous and willingly ignorant as they had.

That was something that infuriated Valia beyond his mental sanity. To prevent people from making harmful choices, nowadays it was somehow _wrong_ for him and others to do such a thing. It meant that he was _intervening_. That he was being _controlling_ of another human being. He was _pushing_ his beliefs down their throat. And ultimately, _stealing_ that person's so-called "right" to their decision, their choice, their "free will"… and whatever other nonsense was put in his face. They wanted to know who he thought he was to put himself in a position to boss others around. Spit upon by the very people he tried to help, advise and protect. It was anything but new to him though. He wasn't obliged to deliver any explanation or reasoning when there was very little of it. And why should he? Rhetoric over convictions? But people demanded it. It wasn't long before he grew to despise those who chose to complicate life's simplest matters and just couldn't leave them be.

And he knew he wasn't the only one in the room who had to put up with this. He wasn't the only one present in the arena with these frustrations.

It wouldn't stop him, though. It wouldn't stop any of them. Even if people thought it was wrong for them to butt in and intervene, they knew it was even more wrong, cowardly, irresponsible and selfish to turn the other cheek, do nothing, sit back and allow the worst to unfold. But they also believed people needed to be responsible for their actions, even if it meant suffering the consequences from them. But if they could help prevent it from happening, they would. It was never about them being right. Not at all. Their intent was to help them and prevent them from doing something they would regret or drive them to their own undoing and couldn't take back or recover from. To correct and guide those who were wrong and mistaken.

It was hard to look at the three teenagers and even begin to think they might have shared anything in common. From their faces and what they wore, they couldn't have. Kim, the stylish and athletic girl next door who saved the world and had a family of geniuses, Yori, the gentle and honorable kunoichi of a top-secret ninja school, and Valia, the scar-faced espionage expert who was just as much as a nightmare to criminals as he was a tank in hand-to-hand combat (and didn't even look the same age as the others, 19, to begin with). However, it would turn out that all three of them had far more in common than most, including themselves, would ever want to believe. And perhaps the strongest of the similarities that they shared were the most crucial elements that made all of them who they were.

And among them, is that they all possessed unquestionable inner strength. They knew it wasn't simply the feeling of having power or control over their life – exercising it carelessly and dangerously by doing whatever the hell they wanted – that made them who they were. It was through the actual choices they made, the wise decisions they made to develop themselves and eradicate or hide their weaknesses, that made them who they were. It was making the right choices for themselves and do good for others. And to help others build their own inner strength, or prevent them from becoming weak and losing themselves, that they felt a need to pass it on even if it meant telling people what to do if they meant to encourage or guide them. Although Kim allowed Ron to make a lot of his own bad choices, trusting him to do or learn the right thing, she too needed to draw the line to teach him what was right, to succeed and become a stronger man, and not to make choices that would ruin that and do irreversible harm to who he was. Yori teaching strict discipline to her fellow students, so they would soon become great, proud and honorable ninja warriors, and not to disgrace and shame themselves and the Yamanouchi school forever by succumbing onto the wrong path. As for Val, he had seen enough death and fought more than enough evil to learn how people succumbed to such a path and went astray. No matter how little or big it was, it made no difference to him. And while many would say it wasn't his place to do such a thing given how much blood was on his own hands, he saw no reason to remain quiet, and saw it as his obligation to warn others and do whatever he could to prevent them from falling onto the same path (his victims and his own) by all means necessary. Even if it meant breaking them apart to get through to them (mentally in most cases, physical in extreme). If not for everybody else then themselves as a human being. All of it demanded what some would consider a level of 'control' from them, not because they liked it or wanted to, not because they saw anything to gain from it, but because they knew it was necessary.

It was something Kim pondered for a moment, but none of her attention strayed away from Valia for even a second. Listening to him, she wasn't exactly sure what to make of it, or him for that matter. Although she came here expecting him to be on his soapbox at his worst, practically the preacher of death at hell's gate, for some reason she couldn't say she was in complete disagreement with him.

In fact, far from it.

She realized, to an extent, he was saying what she knew other people wanted to say but were afraid to or held back from. Normally something with that intent would have gained her respect, if it were truthful and from the heart (and not from a total nutjob who took everything on the internet as truth as she had seen too many times in college), and especially if he had come to his conclusions on his own, in which he did, but here the feeling was different. Given the way he was behaving it was a bit of a scary thought. To think that she, admittedly, shared some of the same frustrations as he did. Actually, it was an even scarier thought when the look in his eyes and his voice could have told a story of someone who had ripped someone's entire throat out using only their teeth and enjoyed every moment of it. While that certainly wasn't the case, the thought made her a bit speechless. Without the intent of it, she allowed him to continue.

Hearing nothing from either of them, Valia continued on, "But now more than ever we're _eager_ to cave into those urges and desires, the corruption, the impurity, the evil within us, no matter how denigrating they are to everything we are deep inside - when common sense teaches us to avoid the temptation and tells us _Just. Don't. Fucking. Do it. You're gonna regret it. There's no turning back. There's no taking anything back._ - without giving a _thought_ to the consequences and who we become because of it, and how it affects us and _everyone_. Those we know, those we will eventually meet… We witness or become informed of the consequences of the same choice others have made… no more obvious than the light shining through the morning window… and yet we ignore it… It's said that the weak finds restraint only through the intervention of others, while the strong are able to practice total and absolute restraint on their own accord, and not that cafeteria pick-and-choose and 'exceptions' idiocy. That's part of what being wise is. Restraint, boundaries, limitations, _self-control_… no wonder we can't be trusted with our own choices or personal responsibility – not that such things hold any meaning anymore… We're more than _proud_ to easily break the rules we _placed for ourselves_ for the sake of desire and greed, our own fucking 'pleasure', even if it means betraying ourselves and what we once believed in. The demise of our innocence, youth, decency, even our lives and the elements of what truly makes life- no, _our lives_ beautiful. But again, we do everything we can to avoid feeling shame from it even if it means denying anything wrong or bad. What's the excuse? _'People change'._ Pathetically predictable. Meet a nice, young sweet girl that you yourself would break to pieces if you ever knew she liked you, a year later that ten-year old computer of yours has even less viruses than she does… The thought alone devastates me, despite how common it already is… Oh, but people 'change'… meaning that's _perfectly_ fine and acceptable, everything's understandable and justified, and that's okay, _right?_ _Right_…? _**RIGHT? **__Right…" _Sarcasm. "Even so, none of it means anything anymore. Even if we're human enough to feel regret again we learn nothing. We pretend it never happened and try to erase it and suddenly, we're on a clean slate and perfectly pure again, in a total refusal to live under the weight of our actions. Just agonizingly pathetic… We can't erase the choices we've made, and many end up haunting us for ages to come, affecting and infecting all those we come across. _Every single one of our actions, no matter the intent or audience, affects everybody whether we realize it or not. _The guilt will follow us for the rest of our lives to the grave. Not for as long as we live… unless we are willing to lie to ourselves yet again… Return to zero, the cycle begins anew… Many if not all of them _can_ be avoided if we _choose_ to. _We_ are the ones who _choose_ to go astray, pursue what's been proven to be the wrong paths in life and ruin everything! _We_ are at fault! Nobody else! It is through corruption that we destroy ourselves. In acts of greed, perversion or selfishness, there are _never_ no victims…" Chuckling, he didn't believe what he was saying. "HAH! But who am I kidding? You would think we were smart enough and had the common-'effing-sense to pause, take a step back, and make decisions based on how they affect everything later in life. Tomorrow and the days after. Plan ahead. Not to think or act carelessly… But why disappoint myself further with placing confidence in people when even the slightest bit is too high a standard? We're told not to play with fire but what do we do? We put up a front, call it 'bravery' like some jackass who conceived a child in the middle of the desert with a tire, or some dumbass, immature act of adolescent 'rebellion', dive straight into it only to get burned _every _single_ time_… It amazes me how conceited we've become to believe we can just rewrite life so we can feel we're entitled to do whatever we want in life without getting burned for their 'issues' and 'problems'? _Oh no, mommy won't let me buy a violent sex-filled video game for my tenth birthday or let me buy pants that reveal my _thong_! Nobody likes me, I'm not popular, I'm lonely and want to be accepted so I'm going to kill myself! I'm so angry because I was banned off a website for breaking the rules again!_ Oh, how _dreadful!_" he yelled sarcastically. "Compared to other parts in the world – where third-world countries are trapped and engulfed in an endless state of warfare, where victims have to be cut open to have their bullets removed, _**awake**_ and _screaming_ in pain the _entire process_ as blood from their arteries stain their faces because there is _nothing_ available to _sedate_ them, or couldn't afford it even if there was, where people wake up knowing they might not be alive to go to sleep that night, or fear being truthful about something will put you in front of the firing squad – do you know how incredibly stupid our petty 'problems' and 'issues' sound in comparison? Oh no, gas prices are _so_ high I might not be able to eat today! Even though they're far more expensive in other countries! I'm on welfare but that didn't stop me from pimping out my wheels, ya dig? The things we complain about when we're forced to be more careful when others die slowly from diseases because they don't know of a cure. People who live in these third-world hellholes don't have the freedom of choices or any at all, especially in comparison to people like us. But believe it or not, some people in countries without all the freedoms we take for granted, actually live more _content_ lives simply because they see no need to pursue their lusts or greed, see a need for technology, and could care less about luxury. They are comfortable with living a simple, clean life. They desire nothing else. Look at us in comparison, with the freedoms we possess and take for granted, abuse and treat no different than money, spend and use it unwisely and carelessly just for the hell of it, with our restrictions fading by the day… how we only use it to ruin ourselves and the world around us and yet we continue to demand more… Fucking ungrateful… 'But oh no, _we're_ not to blame. We haven't done _anything_ _wrong_ as long as we didn't _mean to. 'It wasn't supposed to offend or hurt anyone._' We contribute to so _much_ of the shit that goes on in the world, and yet we are _completely_ _incapable_ of placing the blame toward the miserable little excuse of an 'individual' found in the mirror, with a wretched excuse of a lost soul trapped deep within their eyes pretending they've done _nothing_ wrong and pretend as if they're completely _fucking innocent_. And these fucks think _they're_ the victims! They're nothing but victims of _themselves_… I don't know what's scarier; doing something you know isn't right with bad intentions, or doing something you know isn't right while claiming your intentions are 'pure'… But _no_… it's never _your_ fault… _Something else_ is _always_ to blame," he said sarcastically, "because there's _no wrong_ in what we do, because we didn't _'mean to'_. '_I don't do bad things… I don't think there's anything wrong with it… There is nothing wrong in it… Everybody else does it… Other people do it… It's my right… No one's getting hurt from it… I haven't done anything wrong… No one's forcing you to watch or look at it… I don't care… If you don't like it, don't look… Everyone does it… I'm exercising my freedoms… It's just your country… People have no right to tell me what I shouldn't do… Why can't you just accept me for who I am now… You're not going to change me… Don't tell me what to do… You should be more supportive… Don't judge me… It's different in this part of the world… I have the right to decide… I hate it when people tell me I should take my talents and do good things with it instead… Quit being so uptight… Take your do-gooder attitude and take it elsewhere… There's nothing wrong with what I'm doing … It's none of your business… I don't want you telling me what's right and what's wrong… I'm not going to stop… I'm not going to change for you… I do it all the time; there's nothing wrong with it at all… It's my choice… You're not the boss of me… You don't know me… Just because I like it doesn't mean I'm a sick person… It doesn't mean it's wrong… Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm not… _innocent_… Yeah, but that doesn't mean I'm not… innocent… Innocent… __**Innocent…**__'"_

Something was becoming more wrong with him as he repeated to himself the endless so-called justifications that had been forced down his throat for months on end, and it caught the girls' attention. Every phrase mentioned had a different voice attached to it, and the pitch of his voice was completely inconsistent with unpredictable and radical changes in it, as if he were possessed by the very people he tried to imitate. His voice sounded like it was trembling, not from fear but restraint, holding back insane and aggravated laughter if you could call it that. And as he was saying all of this, he was moving, spinning in an endless spiral staring at the ceiling, although his mind was seeing something else. But when it was all over, one phrase kept spiraling in his mind. Over and over and over again.

_Yeah, but…_

_That doesn't mean I'm not… innocent…_

_Innocent…_

Slamming the palms of his hands into the controls as hard as he could, the sound of the impact as loud as a car collision, Valia's breathing turned into nothing but intervals of loud, intense and deep growling, sounding anything but human. And he wasn't screwing around. The bang of the controls was enough to completely startle Kim and Yori and take them completely off guard, but the sound he was producing had them backing away as far as they could from him until something else touched and startled them: The wall behind them, one that prevented them from moving back any further. Ryan was displaying characteristics similar to that of Ron in his possessed animalistic state, perhaps worse, but other than the enraged, psychotic and murderous look in their eyes, there was clearly a vast difference between the two other than the remainder of their physical appearance.

Ron had become a mutated, deranged and enraged madman, cursed by the very powers he embraced and accepted, not knowing they had been corrupted; split amongst himself, Monkey Fist and Rufus. Combined with the anger the cursed powers suddenly corrupted him with, and the abilities it gifted him with, he had the power to crush the world with his fingertips. Upon their rather unpleasant reunion, Kim, like anyone else, feared these powers to the point where she didn't think she had a chance against him. She was also in a weakened condition then, lacking the inner strength she was known for thanks to her peers in college destroying her spirit. But in time that fear would fade. It wasn't that she grew not to fear his powers, but rather him. When it came down to it, it wasn't her best friend and beloved Ron Stoppable she was really fighting. It wasn't truly him. He was possessed. He wasn't himself. It wasn't him deep inside. And therein lay the difference between Ron Stoppable and Valia Ryan.

Then, in his cursed state, Ron wasn't in complete control of himself.

Ryan on the other hand, here and now, _was_.

Despite the behavior he was displaying, he actually was in complete and absolute control over himself, and had been the entire time. But this wasn't some act to invoke fear in the girls or mess with them on the psychological level; a trademark of his to those he fought against. But you couldn't tell this from the outside, as Kim and Yori certainly didn't, and they didn't intend to find out otherwise. With the look in his eyes, had anyone approached or interrupted him, the girls even, you'd think he wouldn't hesitate to thrust his hand straight through their backs and rip out their entire spines single-handedly. And he could if he wanted to. They knew that. All of them.

But instead, he was laughing and had been for some time, fueled by his obvious maniacal and almost inhuman rage. "The people in this world just _kill_ me with their conceited delusions of themselves and the world… and how they want to rewrite and paint all of it into something it isn't… failing every time no matter how hard they try, and with the same, repeated ideas that have failed throughout human history… but sugarcoated and put in a wrapper to sell it off as _'fresh'_, _'new'_ and self-righteous superiority dogcrap labels like '_forward_-thinking'." He had his head lowered against the controls, and tried to raise himself back up, trying to regain some level of calm, sighing. "As human beings placed on this world, we are _all_ placed with an obligation we are responsible for partaking in… We can _not_ allow terrible things to continue to happen… we can _not_ allow our _sins_ to be passed onto the future… we can _not_ allow our actions to corrupt young, growing minds or disregard them… we can _not_ allow our _mistakes_ to _shape_ the future… and we can _not_ allow our _influence_ to _infect_ those who will _live in it!_ _That_ is the way everything should have been. _That…_ was the _design_…" It didn't sound like it, but he sighed again. "The truth is everything in life… the truth is what is supposed to set us free… And _these_ are the lies and excuses we sell to the highest bidder, that have made _each and every single one of us_ among the most laughingly predictable and pathetic pieces of shit ever to embrace the name of _existence… _But we abuse excuses like 'individual freedom', 'ideas', 'choice' and empathy, misconstrue and bend them to our will, our liking, to appease what we want to see in the world, and whatever excuses we can come up with if it allows us to ignore, dodge or avoid that obligation without feeling guilty for it. To validate it. Justify it. And we're arrogant enough to think we can throw it all away, our responsibilities in this world as a species. Now I'm fully aware that it's not my place to say it, but I've seen enough not to remain silent on it. I truly thought one of our goals as people in this world was to pass our hopes, good will and dreams onto the future; the next generation and those ahead. We all have our part and role to play in the growth of this world, to go forward. Make a difference in the world, learn from history and never forget its lessons and our mistakes, and do what we can to leave it in a better place for later generations… To be wise in exercising the gifts and what is given to us in life. But instead… by refusing that, along with the justification of everything we know to be corrupt in this world… Is that what people consider "moving forward"? Sounds more to me like falling backward… At this rate, the children of today will grow up to become nothing more than the assholes of tomorrow… and we have no one but ourselves to blame… for everything… for what we've turned this world into and the choices we've made to make it that way…" then he grunted loudly, "But it doesn't matter. We could care less when the only ones we're concerned about in this world are ourselves. Just our lives… It's no wonder… Why else, when you look at it, is it that we live in an age of self-centered corruption where truly good people suffer and go through meaningless… wasteful… and unnecessary struggles, all because of the viral stupidity of other people? Simple… because of the choices and mistakes made by those who lived in yesterday's world… and the failure of others' hard struggles to clean up the mess they left behind, even today…" He put his hand on his forehead again, rubbing his right hand down his face before grabbing it. "We're not any different… We're only going to produce even more garbage for the next generation to suffer from, wallow in and clean up after… not that any of them will be brought into this world by normal means, anyway… not at the rate everything's going today. But hey, as long as there was some 'pleasure' to be had, the lies, the regret, the decisions, poor choices and 'mistakes' we make that we _know_ we're going to suffer for, the pain we're going to put ourselves and other people through, the fact that we betray our morals, our convictions and who we once aspired to be; _ourselves_, and _threw it all away_, the 'pleasures' and everything we do that only contributes to everything wrong with this world, the influence it produces that poisons and stalls the evolution of our society and what people can truly achieve and accomplish; none of it means a damn thing. None of it is _right_. None of it is _good_. _Any of it._ What we _want_, what we _like_; _**that**_ is what's really important, it seems…" he said in disgust. "It can be wrong, it can be sick, twisted and disturbing, it can be evil, it can be _proven_, but if it provides us what we perceive as enjoyment and pleasure, regardless of the harm it can, probably _will, _and always seems to produce; if we're told _that_ is the wrong path to go down, do we let any of it stop us? Of course we don't. 'I'm not going to let that stop me,' people say. I'm supposed to hear that from people who are fighting against every obstacle thrown at them to achieve a goal and follow their dreams, to never give up on an enduring and challenging struggle worth fighting if not _dying_ for, when much is at stake, or simply doing the right thing no matter how much you have to restrain yourself from doing otherwise," he said, angrily throwing his arm aside, "_not_ from self-righteous blowhards who think they're above the laws and rules that protect them and everyone else – and note how I didn't say '_designed_ to protect' – could care less about pissing off their doctors and damning their own health, or inflating their ego and think there's something to gain from being an asshole, or purposely defying the rules and risk getting banned from a _website_ out of all things… all to show off that they 'won't be controlled' when they're not being deprived of their human rights _one damn bit_, and look nothing short of a disgraceful goddamned _embarrassment_ to the human race instead, probably humiliating their parents even more with every minute of their mere existence, all of it in vain. Human stupidity at the peak of its finest… We can't allow _anything_ to restrain us. Not even ourselves; ironic when you consider how people preach and strive _so hard_ for 'individual' choice, freedom and control as if it's _everything_," he said with hard sarcasm, "and certainly not the truth, one we continue to bury our heads in the sand from whenever we have to face the consequences of our actions and the choices we've made. We pretend that negative influence and outcomes don't exist from what we 'enjoy' doing. Maybe I'll go refuel my unicorn when this is all over…" he said while rolling his eyes, referring to another reality check. "That's called being careless. And here you wonder why people always seem to fail to learn from their mistakes; they downright refuse to admit or even acknowledge them. A respectable person would at least have the decency to recognize and admit to what they are doing, if not what they've become, and not try to pile on a load of excuses to justify themselves to avoid being painted as wrong when that's exactly what they are and know it. Is it really that hard to do such a thing? Apparently it is. Only the most buttfucking idiot is offended by reality and truth. If you believe in something that isn't the truth and you're called on it, well you'd better get used to it. You are what you are in this world. But no, that doesn't work either. 'I have issues' they tell me. 'You don't know me', the typical, overused, trademark high school excuse. Yes, getting to know you will change _so _much and justify _everything_…" Sarcasm. "Or 'I still have morals'! Sure, after you support something you claimed was wrong or wouldn't do earlier, but yet you haven't sold out 'completely'? Is that what I'm supposed to believe? Laughably _pathetic_ at best… We put on an innocent face and pull whatever excuse out of our ass to paint everything as fine, common, acceptable and harmless when it's been _proven_ that it is anything but, simply because we selfishly refuse to give up any of it or, God forbid," sarcasm, "_change our ways._ So what do we do? _We try to_ _change_ _everyone else's __**instead**__!_" he yelled with an enraged tone, "We try so _hard_ to convince _everyone_ it's not _so bad_ in what _we_ do and _we're_ not wrong, and 'provide' them with an… 'alternative' or 'different' way of 'how to look at certain things'," he said with a sarcastic and exaggerated sugarcoated voice. "Since 'Brainwashing' is out, I'll take 'Manipulation' for a thousand, Alex." His sarcasm was followed by a loud, frustrated groan. "Flawed, shallow, unrealistic ideologies that only continue to backfire, not without prediction, destructive lifestyles they ruin themselves with but _choose_ to engage in, and blame the world instead as always for what they brought upon themselves and for what they had coming to them, along with those who aren't supportive of their 'ways'… They don't want _us_ to tell _them_ what they do with _their_ lives, but it's not any different when they have the audacity to tell the rest of _us_ what _we_ should find acceptable, what we should embrace, and what to believe in? Why? So _they_ no longer feel 'left out'? If _their_ lifestyle and views dominate a culture – and believe me, you'd be surprised how many _dream_ of that even if it meant the suffering of those who oppose them and the destruction of certain races and religions, or whatever else they simply _dislike_ – _they_ can finally feel as if _they_ 'fit in' for once? So _they_ can feel 'normal'? So the world perceives _them_ with the respect they think they are deserving of, entitled to, and haven't done _jack_ to _**earn**_? Just so _they_ don't have to make the effort to change _anything_ that's _wrong_ with _them_? Their flaws, ignorance and failed ideas? And if that wasn't enough to provide some kind of twisted entertainment, here's the wonderful part: Everyone buys and gives into the bullshit like a moth to the flame almost as if they _want_ to, because they're made to feel guilty, wrong, intolerant and ignorant if they don't. Drop everything you stood for and believed in, sell your soul, betray yourself and your beliefs, and let _everyone else_, regardless of their disguised intentions, _tell you what to believe in…_ no matter how wrong or despicable it may seem…" That was when he opened and raised his arms again. "Welcome to today's modern definition of what people call being _'open-minded'_ and even 'multi-cultural'… sacrifice your values for the benefit of others, drop the beliefs you have on what's right and wrong, the view from the other side is more important than your own, you will see it their way and you will respect it or else. Be empathetic and show sympathy or else. Sounds a _hell_ of a lot more like _**accepting**_ what everyone else tells you, wants you to believe, and wants to shove down your throat if you ask me… You don't believe there's anything wrong with something that certainly isn't right, that there's no bad in what's anything but good, even though it's something you hide from everyone, your parents, friends, people you don't even know, so you spread your influence by trying to convince everyone else why 'what we think' isn't so wrong, so bad. Call it a 'different lifestyle', a 'culture'. Nothing but empty, overused and cliché arguments. You tell yourself there's no harmful intent or ill will involved, but that influence is still doing its part in harming and infecting all that is good and right in the world… and _you're_ the source by promoting what isn't… and responsible for its effects…"

Letting out a sigh that sounded like a growl, judging by the tone of his voice it seemed Valia was far from over. He was anything but in a good mood, but he wasn't showing the same kind of intense violent behavior like he was before. For the moment. They all knew it was going to be short lived.

Kim and Yori knew from the beginning that they were going to be in for a long, hard fight, and Valia Ryan wouldn't have it any other way. Although he was known as perhaps the strongest, most intelligent and dangerous adversary Kim had ever faced, he was not a being without reason. If what Yori said was true, that whatever it was that he had planned had the potential of destroying the world, he had a hell of lot of explaining to do on his part. And he was going to do it without skipping a single detail. No matter how long it took, he would reconcile the history of the world and the events that shaped it if he had to; everything that took place from Genesis to the events of today, the centuries and millennia, he was going to tell them everything, whether they wanted to hear it or not. But he wasn't simply going to give the girls a solid answer on what he was going to do. He was going to explain everything to them so when he finally did reveal his intention, they would know why. He was only answering the question that they were doing to ask later.

This was something the girls had come to expect upon their arrival. Anyone would tell you that before engaging an enemy, you needed to learn the reason and intent behind their actions. And Ryan was more than willing to give it to them.

But the words that came out of his mouth were certainly not something Kim and Yori had come to expect.

Although he hadn't fully explained himself just yet, his actions or his reasons, they didn't come down here expecting to hear any of what they had heard. Whenever Kim and Yori faced off against their many adversaries, their reasoning was always the same. Revenge. A lack of any respect for rules and boundaries. Recognition. Withholding a reputation. Power. Dominating the weak. Money. Hating all that was good and right because it restrained them from doing harm; just the feeling of being constrained. Giving into the temptation of engaging in taboo simply for the thrill. "Just because". Wanting their so-called 'dreams' to become reality when they were more like nightmares. Hating human morality and seeking to destroy it. A destructive ideal. 'Peace at all costs'. They were miserable and wanted the world to suffer with them. To make a point that the rules of the world were 'meant to be defied' or broken. Power. A sense of self power. To challenge authority and the way the world flowed. Destruction just for the sake of destruction. Finally talking control of their destiny by destroying all who stood in their way. Exposing some twisted meaning of truth. Doing whatever they want. Or changing the world so it would accept them, become more acceptable to them, or serve them better in a refusal to change and accept themselves. Those were the people Kim fought and protected the world against. Those were the people Yori fought and protected those she loved against. Not someone who raved angrily from his heart about what he saw was truly wrong with this world and what was ruining it. But it shouldn't have been surprising given who he was and everything he had seen and gone through.

However, Valia wasn't actually going off about what he hated about people and society, believe it or not. Or at least that wasn't his intention. What he was actually going on about were the things he _feared_… things he feared would lead to the world's collapse and eventually its ruin, its demise… beginning with those who were trying to gain total control and influence in the world, many of whom didn't realize it even though he believed otherwise, and ultimately, people who he believed should never get their way in life. People who wanted to change everything. There was a part of Kim that realized all of this, but she was equally skeptical given how his mad, almost satisfied laughter sounded like disguised, enraged screams, his apparent erratic behavior, his almost demonic and overly-intimidating appearance and the purely psychotic look in his eyes. Someone who could sound so angry and enraged with a smile on his face. It may have been so over the drama but it would be a huge mistake to take him any less seriously. Based on the way he was acting the entire time, one could easily mistake that he was actually doing it all on purpose without reason, and just knowing he was giving her goose bumps, was loving every moment of it. He was doing a pretty impressive job of that even if he didn't mean to. It was all strange, though. Despite all of this, Kim was the only person that knew deep inside there was more to him than this, that deep inside he wanted to fight for something good for the world. One could argue that both she and he were fighting "the good fight". The fight against evil and those who threatened the world and other people, to protect innocent and good people. Both young, both driven, extremely strong in mind and body, incredibly skilled and gifted, unwilling to accept failure, but endure and persevere. But Kim wouldn't agree that Val's fight was the same as hers.

Anything but.

Kim Possible gained the reputation as the girl who could do anything, the everyday girl who fought to protect and save the world with results and execution no different than a professional. She knew of her abilities, her potential, and the drive to do what many others couldn't – either because they weren't capable of doing so or were driven back by their fears. She was a truly good person with strong convictions, strong morals and a big heart, and always eager to help out. A bright young girl who believed in herself and would travel to her dreams by any means, and wouldn't let anyone hold her back or get in the way. She never gave up, nor would she ever give in. She was friendly, open, eager to face new challenges and had the drive to succeed in all of them. She didn't depend on others to fix her problems for her. She was someone that people could actually look up to. She was a good girl. There was no hidden life, no dark secrets to hide that would ruin everyone's interpretation of her (despite what the internet would say about her). She had her flaws and weaknesses like every other human being. Sometimes she was too tough on others, was hard to impress and somewhat bossy, and rarely, depending on who she was around, she would try a little too hard to keep her cool and professional image that it sometimes ended up backfiring on her. And she made mistakes too, but nothing compared to others. She really was a true role model, a hero, and was worthy of being seen as such. She knew others looked up to her, and she wasn't going to let them down. Not her friends, family or loved ones. Nothing was going to hold her back or stop her from doing what she needed to do for the sake of the world, and she never stopped pushing her limits. She may have been stylish, cool, strong, tough, smart, and considered beautiful (most notably by her boyfriend), and there was the fame, glamour and popularity that followed, but that wasn't why she did it. Much of what she did; save people, help them, even if it meant fighting crime, getting into violent fist-fights, and putting the lives of others before her own, she did it for the good of the world and because she knew _it was the right thing to do_ and it had to be done. She was a very firm believer in justice and she had very strong beliefs on what was right and wrong. You weren't going to convince her otherwise, not when everything she fought against threatened the world or the people in it. She was not easy to fool or fall prey to the influence of others. She always wanted to make a positive difference in the world. And she lived for it. That was the truth of who she was.

But as strong and confident as she was, Kim knew deep in the back of her mind there was the possibility she wouldn't be doing this forever. Someday, years from now, she could be a wife, even a mother, or be incredibly engaged in a different career, and the responsibilities placed on her wouldn't allow her to keep pursuing her young and adventurous lifestyle. And outside of it, she also had a life to live and a future to enjoy, with people she cared about, loved and wanted to grow up with. She knew that things would change in her life… but not everything had to. She didn't want them to.

Valia Ryan was far different in that category. Having killed several people (none of them by any means innocent, and usually with an extensive criminal or corruption record) as a former pre-teen "special" CIA agent (placed in a secret department that even the actual CIA had no idea he existed), and destroying and ruining the world's sickest criminals and rapists through the most brutal physical and psychological methods, not to mention the destruction and bloodshed that followed, he was anything but a hero. If anyone wanted to be like him, he would have one word of advice for them: _Don't_. A role model was the last thing he wanted to be seen as, and only a naïve fool asking to be painted as a complete and total idiot would look up to him, he would tell you. Like Kim, he too was aware of his abilities and his potential. But unlike her, he used them to do not what many others couldn't do, but just downright refused to. Suffering a scratch wasn't worth helping those truly in need. They wouldn't aid someone who got hit by a car, return a $50 bill to someone who lost it, or take any kind of action to stop a crime when they _had the power to do so_. They wouldn't help their neighbor, outside calling the police, if something was happening to them. For fear of getting sued, hurt; mere thought of putting their lives at risk was nauseating. They would take pride as a coward, and saw themselves superior to those who were injured or killed doing so. Selfish, weak, lazy, spineless, worthless, and pathetic he'd call them out as. And he was far less forgiving and far more brutal and merciless in fights than Kim ever wanted to be, with the exception of the time she nearly killed Shego that fateful night of the prom. He too was known for pushing his limits, but Valia's knowledge and skills in several forms of martial arts were determined by many to challenge the limitations of human boundaries, inspired by the legends of legendary ancient martial artists centuries ago, believed to have been forever lost when they passed on to better places, what common folk believed only existed in cinema and fiction. Never one to refuse a challenge, confident in his ability to succeed – even though victory no longer had any meaning for one such as him, as there was nothing to gain or learn from it – and was a man of very few visible mistakes and flaws. That alone gained him the hatred and envy of many, often accused of trying to achieve perfection and therefore expecting the same from everyone else. To him, a laughable claim. As an extremely skilled and disciplined martial artist, he knew more than anyone that no one could ever be 'perfect'. It wasn't exactly that he was consciously trying, but he hated the fact that people would use that as an excuse to justify their errors and make nothing of it, therefore giving up on themselves, as well as working and fighting to overcome their flaws and weaknesses to improve themselves and become strong individuals. And end up as uneducated, ignorant, lazy, irrational, worthless street trash blaming everybody else instead, unable to do anything for themselves, and believing they were entitled to success and not working to earn it. And ultimately, that was Ryan's goal for himself. To be the exact opposite of what they were. To succeed where they all failed. An endless struggle to always and continuously improve himself by recognizing and erasing the negative traits that would leave him vulnerable to the same choices and mistakes others ruined themselves with, to stand by his own convictions and never lose sight of what was right and wrong in the world (although his views of death and "_never_ letting assholes have their way" varied from others, and there was the underage drinking problem which stemmed from Enya's death when he was 15 - more reason to tell others not to look up to him), and to have the strength, courage and confidence to look the devil in the eye, decide whatever he put his mind to, and do it. But at the same time he still aspired to be like the great masters he learned from and other great people he came across. He would learn and recognize what it was he admired about them, embrace them, take it into himself and make it a part of who he was, and recognize the flaws, failures and weaknesses of others including himself, eliminate them, and learn from them. That was how he disciplined himself. Valia and Kim were almost identical in this regard, and while neither of them were really _trying_ to be 'perfect', it was seen as such by many, and became envious of them for it. Bonnie's cruelty, Shego calling Kim "little miss perfect", among Kim's other peers past and present, even her own attitude toward Ryan at times. Both he and Kim were perfectionists in that regard, but Ryan took it to a completely different level, to the point of obsession. He didn't expect or request anyone take it to the level he did (quite the opposite, actually) which completely consumed almost every minute of his everyday life in some way, shape or form. Even his social life if he had one, and that was perhaps what truly separated his skills from Kim's. While Kim had one with friends and family, he completely and willingly sacrificed any social life, dedicating it to his martial arts training, to better his human flaws if not eradicate them, and fight to destroy evil. What many didn't understand was that it was all a burden he placed upon himself. When it came to fighting crime, evil and war, those who did would often have to resort to measures and do things against their conscience and morals to do something more important than themselves; what was necessary. In such scenarios it would have been more wrong to do nothing. They did it so others wouldn't have to, so they would never experience such a thing, so they wouldn't have the guilt of having blood on their hands. The right thing to do wasn't always likeable, and if you knew what you did was more right than wrong, it didn't matter what others thought. Popularity of any kind was entirely irrelevant, as it barely ever equated to being right. Someone had to do the dirty work when others wouldn't. This was the burden he willingly placed upon himself. No one was going to go to the levels he was willing to go to stop evil. No one was willing to do the things he had to do, even if it meant letting go of his own beliefs and humanity at times to prevent a worse evil from roaming free, unlike others who would out of their own selfishness, who believed that their own 'dignity' wasn't worth 'sacrificing' to save others. No one was willing to take the extreme mental and physical toll of fighting the living nightmares that no one could wake up from. Based on this information, one could assume everything he did was so others wouldn't have to, similar to Kim. Not quite. He chose to do everything he did was because other people _simply wouldn't_. People didn't want to do the dirty work, or weren't allowed, and someone had to. But the reasons he fought the world were completely separate from Kim's. None of what he did was done in the name of justice, to protect others, for the sake of all that was good, because he felt he was doing his part in the world, the glory, the greater good, any reward inside or out, or because it was the right thing to do. It wasn't because he loved a good fight. It wasn't because he felt alive when staring at Death in the face, or the pleasure, the excitement, the thrill or the rush that followed.

It was all because of his intense, extreme and pure hatred for all that was evil in the world. He never considered himself a hero and he wouldn't tell you he fought for justice. Evil existed in the world for only one purpose: Not to be the balance of good as others would tell you. Not as a reminder why good exists and needs to exist in the world. Not for it to be questioned so it could be 'understood' by those who chose rhetoric over convictions. No. Evil existed in the world solely to be destroyed - whether it be by the forces of good or even itself – it was _never_ to be compromised or negotiated with, and those who sympathized with it would fall under the same crossfire and receive the same punishment, treatment and judgment as that which they support, all of them regardless of their reasons. "The friend of my enemy is still my enemy." He never equated fighting against evil as fighting for good, at least for himself, especially in the way that he fought it, making sure it would _never_ get back up. His own inner demons were dreadfully powerful, and used it to take down other forms of evil. He couldn't define what was good and right in the world, but he could certainly tell you what wasn't, and he sought to destroy it completely. He knew that evil could never be destroyed, but nevertheless something had to be done to prevent the cancer from growing, expanding and engulfing the world and corrupting the minds of children, the future. Anyone who stood in his way would be struck down as his enemy. The world people wanted to create, one without the acknowledgement of consequence and responsibility, a paradise for those who didn't believe in good, thieves, society's deviants, those who didn't give a damn about the future they helped create, several others whose existence poisoned the world, along with those he sought to destroy, was one that could not exist, and he was going to do everything he could to stop it. That's all it was. Nothing more.

People already had so much to be happy about and be appreciative toward in this world, he thought, but they resorted to ways of thinking that would never allow them to realize or experience that. Almost as if people intentionally blocked it off, taking their already-existing privileges for granted, and demanded more as if they were somehow entitled to them. Completely ungrateful. He only wished evil existed to remind people the glory of what they were fighting against, and why they should have been proud to serve on the side of good. To believe in it and be proud of it. It depressed him to think that way of thought was considered old-fashioned, an obsolete and dying ideology. By fools disguising themselves as intellects no less, who couldn't express enough delight in its destruction, but many, and enough to influence the weak masses. Regardless of his methods, while he was always fighting against something, he always fought for what he believed in. While Kim wanted to make a positive difference in the world, he wanted to leave it as a better place… even if it meant to destroy those who willingly went astray and took an immoral path which, inadvertently or intentionally, harmed lives with their actions or influence, and contributed to everything wrong in the world. Destroy them not just for vengeance for what they've done to innocent and good people, but to rob them of the ability to do harm to any more. Many considered this fight impossible, fruitless, meaningless, and saw no point in engaging in it. But Ryan did. He felt it was his duty, and the reason he was gifted with so much power. This was what it was meant to be used for. This was his calling. The fight without end was truly the fight worth fighting. But like Kim, he too lived for it.

But he would die for it, too. As far as Ryan was concerned, he had no future. The path he walked on had no end. He had nothing else to live for other than honing and perfecting his growing martial arts skills, only becoming an even deadlier machine by the minute. He had chosen the path of destruction, knowing it would perhaps lead to his own. He too knew that he wouldn't be doing this forever, but he would go on fighting until the moment he finally dropped dead. That was the fate he was chained to, but one he had chosen, acknowledged and accepted. But he knew. There was no alternative. There was no escape. There was no other way for him. But that was the choice he was willing to make. That's what he was willing to sacrifice – Another word he felt that was losing meaning in the world, one that more and more people could never truly understand as they were never willing to make their own. You couldn't rely on cowards to take out the trash…

Sadly for Kim, her spotlight would soon fade the moment she left the halls of a place she would grow to miss, Middleton High School. Back then, she was surrounded by nothing but good people in her everyday life, save one Bonnie Rockwaller and a few people who graduated before she did, and saved many people who were eager to repay her in the form of favors. She had her share of problems like every other teenager, and in retrospect perhaps shallow, but she had a loving and caring family, her friends and especially her faithful boyfriend to support her. There were certain times where the presence of a certain childhood friend of Yori and blood-related cousin of Bonnie took her into a completely different world and trapped her in the maelstrom of his darkness, but other than that she lived a calm, privileged and happy life with so much to appreciate. And she did, knowing how well she had it compared to the truly less fortunate and privileged around the world, and knowing her problems were trivial in comparison to theirs. She took none of her fortune for granted (or tried her best not to) and was extremely appreciative of everything good in her life. But everything would change the moment she entered the dorm rooms of one Upperton University and the real world, meeting nothing but rotten, terrible people who didn't hesitate to make her life a living hell simply for doing and believing in the right thing. Because the simple fact her beliefs frowned upon what they did for enjoyment, and even though she chose not to get involved in their affairs, they took it as an insult, that she already passed judgment on them, and that she was too good for them. But she did get involved when they got out of control and served time, and she was the outcast for it. She wasn't as prepared for it as she thought she would be, considering she had been all over the world and had been through worse battles. So she told herself, as they were physical as opposed to emotional. She tried to fight it, but without the many years of Ronshine she had to pick her right back up, and fearing for Ron's life the six months he was gone, it ruined her. It actually ruined her. She didn't know how to protect herself against an entire student body – college no less – that resented her for her fame and her refusal to do certain things for their entertainment; life-changing decisions that had the potential of completely destroying her. Physically, mentally, spiritually. Things that were completely against her principles. Things she would absolutely never do, and she too was accused of being ignorant and not 'open' to their lifestyles, and they were misrepresented. They wanted her to compromise her beliefs and core values when they weren't willing to compromise their own, assuming they had any. She wanted nothing to do with it, nothing to do with them, and tried to leave it as that, and they all treated her like garbage for it. They _wanted_ to ruin her life. Her parents tried to be as supportive as they could, telling their only daughter what they had said over the years of her life; never give up who she was, never cave into the pressure, not to change the person she fought to become, and stay true to everything she believed in, her goals and dreams, and herself; everything she was. Not for their sake, but hers. They believed in and trusted their daughter, knowing she wouldn't have any intention of throwing herself away for these losers. And she never did. People only cared about what they _wanted _her to be, not the great person she _already_ was. _No one_ was going to change her. _Nobody._ But sadly their support wasn't enough to keep her steady on her feet. She knew who she was, what she believed in, what she stood for, and knew what she didn't want to become. No. She knew what she _absolutely_ _did not_ want to become, and she wasn't going to. She wasn't going to betray who she was, what she believed in, and she wasn't going to sell her soul. That was _not_ the Kim Possible that people knew. That was _not_ the Kim Possible she wanted to become. And she was _not_ going to let them turn her into something she wasn't, or give them the benefit of it. She never caved in, but she went through so much for it. She downright refused to run away from it all, but in the end that stubbornness only made it worse. Middleton High's popular cheerleading honor roll world-saving icon was Upperton University's single-most loner. She never gave into anything they wanted her to do, but they did succeed in crushing the poor girl's entire soul. And even then, that wasn't enough for them.

They all wanted her to become something different. Something, if you knew her inside and out, were completely honest with yourself, and placed good faith in her, you knew she would absolutely never be. Not ever.

And no one there supported her. They isolated her. Turned her away.

People wanted her to become everything she wasn't. Many people did. Some would even consider themselves her '_fans'_.

Everything changed… without him…

But there _was_ someone that supported her. The one who warned her. The one that warned her that people would turn against her, and that the moment she kissed and fell for a certain goofy freckled-faced blond-haired boy she grew up with, he would become her greatest weakness (and in turn his, if she wasn't already), one with the potential to ruin her should anything go wrong between them.

But if it wasn't for everything Ryan had done in an attempt to reverse the effects of their separation, she wouldn't have the confidence to confront and face him here and now. No one would see it as bravery, even for her, but absolute stupidity instead. Suicide. A death wish. A one-way ticket to heaven or hell. And she might have as well. No different than putting on headphones while walking on rumbling train tracks. But she also knew that things were undoubtedly going to get worse from here on. With every word that came out of his mouth, and the venom of hatred and raw anger attached to each word, it only became even more apparent how this all was going to end.

Given the rather creepy, exotic, eerie and rather beautiful look of the place, now painted with a dark blue-green color almost like the walls and floor were reflecting water, it was rather strange to reflect on the life outside of the Tower. Many others would forget a world existed outside of here with how surreal it felt. Like a dream or a nightmare, it looked nothing like it did when she and Yori first arrived. It became somewhat quiet for a moment, almost suspiciously. It was brief and short-lived, or it least it felt that way.

Ryan then took it upon himself to break the brief silence yet again, but the first thing one would notice about his voice was that it was now filled with dread and grief. "Karma fades… a time where the lines between good and evil have been completely blurred and so distorted… but only by those who wish to blur them; uncertain or weak of their beliefs with little to stand for… or have already crossed onto the 'other side' and choose to _deny_ it… More than ever people are unwilling to stop them or put an end to their menace and influence… They say that the evils of the world grow not by those who choose to bathe in its pools of pleasure… but by those who look on, take no action and allow it carry on as if it were nothing… I could quote both Albert Einstein and William Burke on the matter, and that it's even more wrong _not_ to take action… but such words, wisdom, lessons of history, the concept of good and evil, and even justice… it's all losing meaning in this world… viewed as empty rhetoric by idiots who know nothing of it… At this rate it won't be long until it's all reduced to nothing more than an outdated, old-fashioned, obsolete and forgotten view of the world… And by who, I ask? But I already know… You see, Kim… evil isn't simply the antithesis of what is good and right in this world as everyone will tell you. It doesn't simply fall under one definition, and anyone who chooses to see it for what it is, or have seen their fair share of it, the real thing with their very own eyes, will tell you that. It's not as limited as people will want you to think. Contrary to what today's times will tell you, it is not simply that which limits human freedom as many will lead you to believe simply because they don't _like_ the thought of it. Evil is also the temptation within us that drives us to do things we certainly cannot classify as anything right, pure or good; it is the work of powerful, dark _forces_ that can completely consume us if we allow them to…" then he chuckled to himself with a grunt, "What the hell am I saying… Not that anyone is spiritual enough to believe in _anything_ unless it can be 'scientifically' proven these days, which is laughably close-minded. Goes to show how pathetically dense, naïve and narrow-minded we allow ourselves to be when living in a bubble… when there's enough in the world we know exist but can't see or prove it through such means. Even simple martial arts training will tell you there is far more to life than what you see with your own two eyes." Sighing, Valia just shook his head as he looked down at the floor he was standing on. "We're told by just about _everything_ never to give into the sinister temptations that reside within us, whether it be a certain black book, an elderly martial artist, an retired honorable military warhorse veteran, a medium, a shaman, cartoons, something engraved on a statue, memorial or gravestone, anime or even a badly-scripted sitcom. We _know_ what they _are_… One of the things we're told to do for ourselves is to learn what is right and wrong… but unfortunately, as immature and as untrusting as we are, as a part of human arrogance we feel that it's our own place to DECIDE for OURSELVES what is right and wrong… _THAT. IS NOT__**. ANYONE'S**_ choice to make! Especially when we base such things on how we _feel_ about it; not what we know is right or wrong, but what we _like_ or _dislike_ instead! We open the door and promote a _pick-and-choose_ mentality that people will be more than eager to take full advantage of… and humans being what they are, it's inevitable that they do… Pathetically it's human nature that if we feel we can get away with it, we _will_ do it. And we have the audacity to think it's evil for people – who _have_ made the _right choices_ in life, are both _wise_ _and_ knowledgeable, and happen to _know better_ – to tell us what _not_ to do with our lives, and call us out for what we are and what we do. Honesty, unafraid to speak. It's almost as if the world is deluded into believing that being the underdog somehow makes one morally superior! Downright unbelievable… If we happen to like something regardless of how sick, corrupt and disgusting it is, because we happen to like things that appeal to our lust, desire and greed, we want the world to see there's _nothing wrong_ with it and _seek_ to _convince them_." Laughing through a cringed smile, bits of saliva were leaking through between his teeth. "Now why would be there a need to do such a thing? Most people who feel strongly for what they believe in and doing what's right in this world have _no need_ for behaving in such a manner that makes complete _mockery_ of human maturity… Conscious or not, these people more than _anyone_ seek whatever means of consolation about the things they do, desire and seek to limit themselves to a crowd who believe in the same thing - I wonder why _that_ would be…?" he asked sarcastically while rolling his eyes, "– if not try to convince everyone else on the outside there's nothing wrong with it, just so they don't have to feel they've done anything wrong or that their views and beliefs are flawed. Such drives may be a part of 'human nature', or more accurately, the nature of that individual, but that doesn't make it any more right or any less wrong. It does _not_ justify a thing! People and their excuses… And people throw that aside because they don't want to hear it. They don't like it. They can't take it. They can't accept there's nothing _they_ can do about what's right and wrong, good and evil, truth and fiction because they despise it so. Boo hoo. Tough _shit_ for them. Society and the good values people hold are _not_ theirs to dictate, change or manipulate. They want to keep doing whatever they want without the negative vibe of feeling guilty and being frowned upon by society. I will tell you there _are_ those who fully acknowledge and know this, and live under the weight of what they've done. Proves they're human. But most are too conceited to realize it and think regardless of what they do, they haven't crossed onto the other side no matter how far they've gone. No wonder these people can barely live with themselves when they do nothing but lie. Lie to yourself enough times, and eventually you'll begin to believe it… The personification of an asshole if I've seen one… _This_ is what people misconstrue to be "free" and to be open-minded, to do whatever you want in life and not be judged for it, not held accountable or responsible for it. _**Wrong**_. Every thought. Every word. Every action. _Everything_ we do affects and impacts those around us some way or another, their thoughts, state of mind, way of thinking. That's what you call influence. But we always deny it because we don't want to feel wrong, and tell everyone to blow off. _'Don't look at it if you don't like it.'_ Wow, what a magnificent display of sheer ignorance and utter stupidity with such an incredible shallow argument about something that probably shouldn't have existed in the first place or limited better, more than likely something shoved into our faces. But even that isn't enough for them. They tell us to turn away and ignore it, but at the same time say such things, in a free society, should be _embraced_ or _accepted_, and will try their best to convince us to stop looking at certain things in a certain way. Thank you, you _**fucking hypocrite!**_ In a free society, _**no one**_ should _**ever**_ have to _compromise or __sacrifice_ _**their**_ _beliefs and core values_ for the _benefit of others, especially when they're not willing to do the same__!_ But with each passing day more people do it because they're told to, pressured and made to feel guilty by the very people who feel they're entitled to that benefit…" That was when he smiled to himself, closing his eyes while facing down. "You know… The moment you engage in something you know isn't right – by yourself or others, or even have to _question_ it; a dead obvious sign that it usually _isn't_ – from that moment on it becomes far easier to tell yourself that it is not as bad as it appears on the outside, or as bad as everyone makes it out to be. _'Everybody else does it'_, they assure themselves. _'But these drives are a part of being human, so it's okay', _I hear them say," He grunted angrily, "I'm almost led to believe more people have been dropped on their head _repeatedly_ as children if they're stupid enough to believe that actually somehow justifies _anything_, makes it more acceptable, more right, less wrong, or actually makes it anything _but_ wrong." He grunted loudly, "Only a worthless self-brainwashed idiot would believe in or understand such a thing. Innocence isn't a gray philosophy. The moment you throw it away, it is gone forever and there is no way you are _ever_ reclaiming it. Not now, not ever; forever tainted. It really is just as simple as that… but again people want to rewrite this, feign ignorance while putting on an innocent face, claiming they had no harmful intent and therefore are still innocent, which is a load of shit and they know it. It doesn't change the fact that the damage has been done. You lose it, there's no turning back, period. But from the moment you've stepped past the point of no return, it becomes far easier to convince yourself that there's really nothing wrong with it _at all_, even to the point where you begin to think it's actually completely… _normal_…" Then he shook his head. "No…" he corrected himself, "_should be_ _considered_ normal… acceptable… embraced by many, and that there should be _no reason_ for people to find it wrong or immoral in the first place, and that they shouldn't be criminalized or condemned for it… Doesn't matter if it's the crap attention-whoring moral sell-outs who have sold their souls – I'm sorry; people who seem to be commonly mistaken as _'artists'_ these days, who are nothing but a _disgrace_ to the name and those truly worthy of the title who have inspired many with their thought-provoking and beautiful works – try _so hard _to pass off as 'art' and 'expression' on the internet these days _if you know what I mean_. The only expression I see is lacking control of lust and perversion, unwilling to seek a proper outlet despite their tired excuses. Not to mention expressing how full of it they are. _'I don't see why people can't appreciate the female body'_ Yeah, we've heard that line before. Drop the bullshit already. We all know what it really is. Everyone can see through it… at least that's what I want to tell myself… But it barely ends there… Other everyday things like speeding or cutting off people in traffic, the 'things' that occur at wild parties, feigning intellect like some elitist asshole online, beating up your girlfriend or wife, bullying, drugs, pressuring young girls to get drunk so you can take advantage of them, cheating on your spouse, spreading hate against people simply because of their religion or race, theft, fraud, taking advantage of people's issues to get them in bed… _'There's nothing wrong with it… I'm not wrong for doing it'_… People are too goddamned selfish these days to care how their actions affect anyone," he rambled. "Nowadays the mindset of the so-called average Joe is really no different than that of a murderer… they share so many of the same thought patterns and personal qualities it's sickening. The free and privileged individual no longer uses the power given to them to create a better world for themselves _**and**_ those around them. Instead, they take their freedom, rights, and everything in front of their two eyes for granted and abuse them to achieve only their goals and desires, no matter what example it sets for other people or even if it comes at their expense. Through emotional, physical harm… even death. They know no bounds. They no longer see those around them as other human beings, as equals to believe in and be inspired by… No. Other human beings to them are nothing more than mere obstacles… annoyances… favors… inferior beings to use and abuse for their self enjoyment; an accessory to gain access to the cheap thrills that life has to offer… Never to give, always to receive… Now we thrive on the pain and suffering of those who stand in our way or simply disagree with. These are the kind of people who don't care if they end it. Does that description sound like an everyday person to you? Or that of a mere criminal? Perhaps you can't even tell the difference…"

"You're actually comparing everyday people to common criminals…?" Yori asked. She couldn't believe the comparison.

"How could you say something like that…?" Kim demanded out of him. "You can't compare everyday people to murderers and criminals, Val!" she yelled at him.

He merely grunted at their responses. "Oh, but I _can_ and I _**will!**_" he snarled at them. "Have you forgotten exactly _**where**_ criminals breed from? They're _not_ born unique or any different from every other human being in this world, thus there are many things we share that we would dare never admit; their selfishness, insolence, impatience…"

"That's not what I meant!" Kim said in her defense. "You can't just look at everyday people and see them as criminals!"

"Please," he said, crossing his arms and popping his neck, "I could introduce you to people on death row, people who are serving life sentences, mob bosses, gangsters, rapists, murderers and even terrorists who would tell you the _exact same thing word for __**freaking**__ word_ about everything they've done and have engaged in. _'I don't see anything wrong with it… the world shouldn't hate me for doing it… everyone else does it… it happens all the time… they don't understand me…'_… their excuses are the goddamned _**same**_. And sometimes they're actually _less_ sick, threatening, harmful and influential than those outside the prison gates! The mentality is all the same but everyone chooses to deny it… and why the current generation of society's asinine rejects seem to glorify and romanticize everything that's wrong and evil with the world, though claiming 'deep inside' they don't as if we're supposed to buy it. And guess what? WE DO…"

Unfortunately, both girls could think of instances where that was true. For Yori, she had seen it in moments stepping outside of Yamanouchi. As for Kim, Upperton University.

Valia continued. "We really do. In this world you completely forget why you avoided them and found such things to be wrong in the first place, or why everyone you've met throughout your life told you it _was_…" He grunted loudly, "Engage in something you know will harm you or others in the long run, and your views on it will change forever. The short life we have on this earth isn't meant to be abused, taken advantage of, or taken for granted, nor is it full of chances. One wrong choice and you can ruin your entire life and throw away several opportunities simply because what you've done in life no matter how big or small it is." Snapping his mechanical fingers, "It's as simple as that. You lose sight of what's right and wrong – proving you _never_ had it in the first place or pathetically weak and incapable of holding such beliefs, or have your egocentrism and narcissism shoved so far up your ass you can taste it with the tip of your tongue; you think it's yours to define – everything you once believed in, who you once aspired to be; you _never_ turn back no matter how hard you try to convince yourself you can when everyone else has failed. How the hell can you accomplish such a thing when you don't even have _control_ over _**yourself**_? The sweet, bitter aftertaste of irony… People have the right to decide what path they choose in life… and _every_ choice has its consequences, but they do _**NOT**_ have the right to choose whether or _not_ to suffer the consequences of those choices and actions, the ones they made for _themselves!"_ Swallowing the excessive saliva that was spraying from between his teeth, he groaned loudly with a sound that made him sound quadruple his age. "And as I mentioned before, everyone's been guilty of this in some way or another, but if people think they can get away with something they know isn't right, they _will_ do it. You see… that is one of the consequences of free will, why we have laws, _**safeguards**_ in this world that restrain us: _Free will_, when taken advantage of,_ is_ what allows people to grow and become corrupt. Free will is what produces criminals, threats, menaces and terrible people who take advantage of everything in the world to serve their selfish goals in life, who more than anyone seek to have their voice heard and to influence whoever they can to see everything _their_ way…" With cringed teeth, he smiled. "But we live in an era where what we _want_ for _ourselves _in this world is _far_ more important than what's _necessary_ for _everybody_ who lives in this world. The same could be said for life on earth itself. And that's what it is. Listen to me, Kim. There are some _very_ sick people in this world seeking influence and power to make their view of the world a reality. There are people who can't appreciate or just hate the good things and good people in life, spoiled so rotten by modernity and comfort it smells like shit, and I'm told it's wrong to say that only evil people would believe in and say such things? There was a time where people who believed in good things in life and acted on them were seen as heroes, but people seem to detest them for that now. I remember a time where people would be willing to die for a greater purpose than their own. An ideal. A strong and passionate belief. A loved one. They would be willing to _**fight**_ if it meant bringing order and peace from a neighborhood, to a country, to the world itself. To know that the value of life itself was greater than their own, there were things worth giving it up for, worth dying for… You would be hard-pressed to convince me that you're truly alive when you have absolutely have nothing you're willing to fight for. Back then, such people were seen as brave heroes, admired for what they were willing to sacrifice, willing to do something the rest of us didn't have the _bravery_ or _courage_ to do. People who fought so the rest of us wouldn't have to… the true defenders of freedom. No one believes in these things anymore, and such people are frowned upon as fools who 'threw their lives away' and 'should have minded their own business', or see them as 'warmongering, murdering rapists'," he said angrily, particularly in the last part. "An outdated view of honor and what it meant to be proud… And there are people who still do such things, but are only in it for the attention or some kind of reward… a paycheck, college money or a 'comfortable' career more than anything… Everyone else could give a damn about the rest of the world when they're far more concerned with what they want in their life, regardless if others _don't_ want it in theirs, and not for stupid reasons. Goals that come at the expense of other good people, or freedom for criminals and whatever else corrupts society, as if evil is something to be 'negotiated' or compromised with. HAH. People think fulfilling desires of lust, using substances to get them high or to ease their shyness or their faults, have to break the rules or engage in taboo regardless of what it is, are the _only_ things that bring them joy, and what makes them feel alive; who the _hell_ are these ignorant peons to think they know of real 'joy' or what it truly means to 'feel alive'? It's no different for the pseudo-intellectual idiot who tries so hard to sell themselves as being superior and free because they've revolted against the paths others have willingly chosen in life… thinking they're 'different' - The common selling point of a so-called 'free-thinker' when they actually don't have a _damn_ thought or idea of _their own_. _I do drugs, therefore I'm an _individual_. I'm a true _individual_ simply because I'm not chained by faith. I more of an _individual_; I live a more experimental life. I sleep with everything that moves._ _I'm against every rule, standard and principle anyone else has, and that's what makes me an _individual. Wow. So purposely doing such things and being supportive of them, any of that _instantly_ makes _you_ an 'individual' and thus you are truly 'free'…" he said sarcastically, grabbing his face and resisting the temptation of digging his fingernails through his eyes. "It's dumb enough these morons are out to impress everyone and think they're actually succeeding, and even more dumb when the sheep actually _are_ impressed. Those worthless idiots don't have the _slightest_ idea of what it means to be a true individual or to live a truly free lifestyle… Just misconstruing it to their liking and denying it as they always have… It means a HELL of a lot more than just that! But they'll still believe it and speak out about it when they are _barely_ in a position to speak of such things, more so when they think they're in a position to _define_ it… Doing something completely _against_ the norm. Considering that many others have done the same, taking a similar path _others have_ _doesn't_ make you an individual, and it certainly doesn't make you 'unique'. It just makes you look like a stupid self-important jackass. And these 'individuals' think they can tell us what's right and wrong about certain choices and lifestyles. _'There's always a second side to it'_ or _'not everything is black and white, everything's a shade of grey, retard'_. Imbecile… Just because there's a second side doesn't suddenly make it right. And only a fool would claim there is no black and white. Not everything is a grey matter, and newsflash; grey cannot exist _without_ black and white. I thought people were smart enough not to let themselves fall into such traps but I just keep kidding myself again and _again_ and _**AGAIN**_. This is why we can't see the truth. It is an absolute. The only way one finds the truth is through the absolute. One never finds it by getting lost in shades of grey. That's why we can't see good and evil for what it is. If anything it's our _bias_ towards such things that make it that much easier to convince ourselves that what we engage in isn't as bad as the world makes it out to be. Doesn't matter how right or wrong it is, even if the rest of the world says so, but in the end we tell ourselves it really doesn't matter. And that's how we begin to lose sense of ourselves. _'Just because everyone else sees it different than I do, there's nothing wrong with it.'_" Lowering his head, he started laughing intensely again with a huge forced grin on his face, putting his hands against the controls again, and digging his nails hard on its surface. "And they'll _believe_ it. They'll actually fucking _believe_ it… that there truly is nothing wrong in obvious questionable and harmful lifestyles. _**THEN WHY GO SO FAR AS TO HIDE IT?**_ It couldn't be shame, oh no…They're telling us they see _no wrong_ in what they do at all. If there is nothing wrong with it, then why the hell do they go so far and out of the way to hide it from their friends, family, those they claim to 'care' about and fear they will harm? Drug and weapon stashes, porn collection, a history of poor choices and mistakes, other things we might not feel 'comfortable' sharing with the world under our true identities, that others will find out we really are the sick and twisted monsters they accuse us of being and so on… Why else do we fear of others discovering such things, these 'dark secrets'? If there was _nothing_ wrong with them there wouldn't be a _need_ to hide any of it in the first place! Only a select few truly acknowledge this, but everyone else plays these stupid games of denial! _**There's**_ the proof that we're bullshitting even ourselves! And we still can't see that! That is exactly why I refuse to believe people don't know any better. And do not misconstrue me; It's one thing to hide little things for personal and private reasons like embarrassing habits or revealing what shows or music you enjoy, all of it petty compared to some of the darker secrets I've seen people hide, but it's another thing when you hide something from absolute fear, as if it was the end of the world if anyone discovered it, fearing it may destroy your chances in a career, the way people will perceive you and your relationship with other people. People don't know right and wrong? Oh how I just _beg_ to differ… and people will keep misconstruing sayings like _'don't do as others tell you'_ or _'don't let others tell you what to believe in',_ in a pathetic attempt to counter it with our worst and poor judgment, when the original meaning is blatantly obvious. We say there's nothing wrong with what we do but hide it with our lives, as if that and our reputation depended on it. _I wonder why…" _he said with more blatant sarcasm, "and yet we still refuse to acknowledge it, and when everyone else pins us in a tight position, we _still_ don't recede and say we were wrong. Instead, thanks to the digital age, we do whatever we can to validate our points by finding those who agree with us and limiting ourselves to that forum, as long as it gives us assurance we're not in the wrong. Opinion… It amazes me more how vulnerable people allow themselves to be. Regarding anything they'll ask if something's wrong, and in their heart they know it. But as long as you have just one other person say no, they allow themselves to easily believe it, even if their earlier gut feeling told them otherwise. More self-inflicted brainwashing. But it's definitely not limited to that. Even so, that's not enough. In our refusal to accept we're wrong, we try to make everyone else see things _our_ way, become more 'understanding' of our corrupt views, and ultimately, conscious or not, tell them to redefine _their_ stance on what's right and wrong, because we feel we shouldn't be viewed as bad people because they 'don't understand' or aren't seeing it a certain way. _**YOU ARE IN NO POSITION. TO SPEAK ABOUT WHAT'S CONSIDERED RIGHT AND WRONG. WHEN YOU HAVE NO CONCEPT OF IT!"**_ he screamed almost to the top of his lungs. "The most unqualified people with low, terrible, no morals at all or have betrayed them, damn sell-outs, or willingly support moral depravity think _they're _in a position totell the world what it should find morally acceptable? They tell us what we should accept without dislike, what should be considered normal, what values and beliefs to throw away for them, be more 'open-minded' about everything they do that adds to the bastardization of this society and does nothing but corrupt people, and convince us that what they do is perfectly harmless? People who acknowledge their own corruption with a smile, a hearty laugh, an "lol" and denounce 'do-gooders' and the 'morally righteous', with beliefs as strong as their convictions. And these people, more than anybody else, have the _audacity_ to think they're in _any_ kind of position to dictate what should be considered right and wrong in the world, determining moral boundaries for themselves and others, and what should be considered normal, morally acceptable and politically correct _**in the world?**_ I am _**not**_ going to have some buttfucking idiot tell me what to 'embrace' in life if it goes for everything I'm against! I ask every single one of these self-serving, arrogant sons of bitches: _**WHO THE HELL DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?"**_

If he hadn't lost it before, Valia Ryan had clearly lost it more than ever, screaming as hard as he could with eyes wide open, enough for them to fall right out, and almost lost his footing. His rage alone had turned him into an animal once more, breathing, _growling_ purely out of anger, almost laughing, sounding anything but human, with his blood veins clearly showing on his head and right hand. If one were to look closely they might have even seen the blood flow rapidly within them. Gone was the calm individual he was on the earth's surface. He almost resembled a zombie with the way his head hung and his shoulders sagged, similar to a puppet with torn strings. Saliva started coming out of his mouth, but he was beyond the point of caring how he looked, not that he really ever did. His arms trembled with every breath, his fingers twitching, eager to grab the closest living thing and rip it to shreds. Slamming his metal fist into the controls again (with enough force that if it were his human fist, he would have broke it right off from his wrist completely), he started laughing again, which sounded no different than a series of aggravated yells. Anyone listening without a visual would mistake he was stabbing a dead and butchered body repeatedly again and again and again until it could be mistaken for something that was meant to be put in an oven.

He hated it. He hated every single moment of it. Every single thing he had seen up close and personal with his very eyes that led him to believe every word that came out of his mouth, he absolutely hated it. And yet at the same time, there was almost a sense of helplessness in his angered laughter – the acknowledgement that there was nothing he could do to stop it despite every effort. Vocally, physically. But even then, he was not going to let that stop him. Some things were considered impossible in the world. But that was not going to stop him. At the core, he may have been an idealist in a sense; another term he felt had been bastardized by those who wished to reinterpret and redefine everything in society, so they could proudly label themselves as such when they and their ideas were anything but grounded in any sense of reality, and were a joke at best. To find a dream and follow it through was an ideal. To expect the world to change into something to serve and appease one's tastes wasn't. True ideals were never selfish or destructive at its core.

But Ryan's ideals, he believed, involved the cooperation of the many things that people had control over _within themselves_. And he could be considered the most stubborn human being on the planet for the core belief that put him this far. There was nothing on this earth that was ever going to make him give up, or give in. When he had seen many others hold onto their moral convictions and dreams, only to crush them like a bug later on (ie. selling out) in an attempt to develop what they would call 'a more _open_ mind or _free_ lifestyle', he wouldn't.

The look on his face alone told the girls how far he was willing to go to make those ideals a reality. It might have even made him more fearsome than he had been the entire time.

"Oh yes…" he chuckled with a huge smile on his face, "the forces of good and evil are just as alive and well as we remember it as children… as they always have been… and the fact that people are playing their part in trying to diminish their meaning, almost completely, only means we're only growing closer to the day we reach the pinnacle of our decadence… and everyone's joining in to contribute to the cause… some knowingly… But when you look at these people, see what they believe in and what they stand for… Everything they've done to contribute to the growing cesspool we're forced to call our free society… I think you'll be surprised at what they claim to do this in the name of… Ask them why, and you hear nothing… but the same two words… something they think is owed to them and they are entitled to: 'Freedom'… and 'Rights'…" He sounded completely depressed just saying those two words, as if he had feared what they had become, their meaning, in the minds of the people. Or more accurately, _knowing_ what they had become, or were changing into. It was also that instant that the tone of his voice changed dramatically. "Freedom from any and all laws of justice, freedom from the rules and standards our societies have placed upon us, freedom from consequence and responsibility, freedom from morality, freedom from being told what to avoid in life, freedom from honor or decency, freedom from being labeled as strong or weak, freedom from shame and guilt, freedom from learning from our mistakes, freedom from _accepting_ our mistakes, freedom from the rules of the world that bind it together, freedom from being labeled a criminal, freedom from the judgment of others, freedom from the traditions that have kept the world alive, freedom from history and the lessons spawned from the consequences of similar actions, freedom from pursuing and embracing the hard challenges and obstacles in life, freedom from solving one's own dilemmas, freedom from order or balance… freedom from being told you are downright fucking wrong… and the so-called 'right' to pursue and do whatever the hell you want, whenever the hell you want it. All of it. Any of it… But not because we suffer from oppression. Not because many of us in the free world are being robbed of our rights. Not because people claim to live under third-world conditions in a first-world country when they haven't set foot outside of their own besides a small vacation. Not because we're being controlled. Not because many of us are caged," all of which he said sarcastically, "and those who believe so I _question_ their knowledge and _experience_ on the subject…"

Sighing in thought, he looked down at the controls before him, observing the strange patterns all over it. Rubbing two of his human fingers against his forehead, he sighed with his eyes closed.

"People hate authority," he said. "It doesn't matter how fair, just or convenient it is. People hate the thought that they are not in absolute and total control over their lives or decisions, not realizing they never were to begin with. Our decisions and thoughts are influenced and shaped by other people, their words, actions, mistakes and the suffering of others. Everyone strives to be an 'individual' and to be 'unique'… whatever distorted crap that means these days… If man was designed to think only for himself and live only for himself, to be alone, we wouldn't live in a world of six billion. We hate constraint, knowing that we can't trust the person in the mirror to do it for ourselves. And some of us are so self-assured we think we can, but forget there are those who can't. People don't have to break the rules to live a full life, but that doesn't mean you can't forge your own path and follow it through. It's something I've been told repeatedly by shaman and wise men throughout the world. But people will if it gives them the satisfaction and false assurance of being in full control, a sense of power over oneself. Just the need to have that feeling of power is a damning weakness in itself. But for one to obtain full, total, and absolute control over yourself also means to control everybody else in the world around you so they do not interfere. Because without them, you are nothing. No one gains power by being truly alone. For one to obtain power requires someone other than yourself to gain power over. And people have the nerve to tell themselves 'nothing' on the outside influences them. Laughable… On the drop of a dime anybody can die. Gunshot. Broken neck. Car accident. People sitting next to us can pull out a knife and slash our necks if they so desired. One second you're alive and dead by the next. Through yourself, or the choices and mistakes of others. Life is just that fragile. There's no way around it. We are not the masters of our destinies. No one can change it no matter how hard they lie to themselves. No one is ever in full control, nor should they ever have such power. And in their arrogance, some have the embarrassing audacity to claim, with some sense of superiority, they 'follow no tradition'. Incredible. I suppose they don't wake up in the morning, I suppose they don't sleep on a schedule, eat to survive, use the restroom, learn to drive, get a job, reproduce, get crushes… Idiotic and conceited claims by self-centered pricks… We've turned the concept of an free-thinking independent individual into a complete embarrassment… Today people are led to believe that the rules of the world exist for nothing else but for them to interpret, misconstrue, pervert, twist and bend all to their liking, all to suit whatever convenience they think they're entitled to, granted by their so-called 'freedoms' and 'rights'. But they're not. There are just some things in the world that are set in stone, things not meant and cannot be bent or controlled by human will. Considering how often we rape the meaning of 'truth' to what we _want_ to believe, pick and choose, we have completely forgotten or abandoned that. Control. Constraint. Limitations. Restrictions. Authority. Words that people just _cringe_ upon when hearing, but are absolutely necessary. Why is it that they are among the most hated words of the free world? For what reason? Because we're given the ability and chance to do it for ourselves and we simply _won't_, or take advantage of that and make all of the wrong choices? Because we always blow it? Why else would be have laws, restrictions, and boundaries placed on every single one of us, in some way, shape and form? To prevent us from achieving absolute freedom? The thing that several hundreds of thousands of those living in the free world desire?"

Ryan briefly paused, moving his head left and right erratically, as if he were a puppet from a horror movie, and stopped when a series of loud pops cracked and echoed straight from his neck. It was a sickening sound the girls would have trapped in their minds for a long time… if they lived that long.

But Ryan's frown quickly turned into another cynical smile. "Yes..." he said, "That's _exactly_ what it is. Oh, but not because of the reasons people want to believe. Government control. Hiding secrets. The bullshit delusional and misguided wannabe-conspiracy-theorists-selling-themselves-as-informed-know-it-alls-who-never-step-foot-outside-their-parent's-basement pull out of their ass, shove it into a bowl and love to eat for breakfast in the morning; people want to pass off whatever fiction they yank out of their ass as a more likeable truth that others are stupid enough to buy on a drop of a dime. That's not why… It is because absolute freedom is among the many things not one single human being on the planet can ever be entrusted with. Not me, not you, not _**YOU**_, not anyone. Not when we live in a world where no one can truly consider themselves a saint, not when people exist in the world who can't be trusted including ourselves, and when you have people acting as if they have all the solutions to the world when they're actually part of the damn fucking problem to begin with… Evil and corruption breeds not only through influence, but by the examples we place in our everyday lives. And why is it that people are so drawn to evil? Our inner darkness? Drawn to those who bend the rules… who spit in the face of human morality… who break all the rules and become above the law? Desire. To fulfill those forbidden lusts. Greed. We seek power through our ignorance and selfishness. And for that, no human being on this earth is, in any way, entitled or deserving of it. Because of our flaws, granting any human being with absolute freedom can be the single most devastating thing ever to engulf the human world. Even freedom is a double-edged sword, and we've reached a point in time where it is being earned without it being fought for… without evil being fought against, beaten, and kept at bay… Without this, the value of freedom becomes lost… ignored… forgotten… abandoned and taken for fucking granted… and it turns into something else… And now look at what people have done with it. Abused to no fucking end. The only time 'freedom' is 'appreciated'… is when we use it to justify everything we know isn't right but deny being wrong… for that we are completely undeserving of it… any of it… Thanks to the digital era we have used that freedom to spread our influence, thoughts and beliefs on everything wrong in the world to the point where the true meaning of good, evil, justice and morality are fading into nonexistence and obscurity, rewritten for the modern era and look at what we have become today. Choosing rhetoric over principles, in the name of freedom we've sought out to destroy the hopes, dreams, values and beliefs of good people who _believe in and do good_, who have kept this world going strong, stable and in one piece; _now_ _fearful_ of what they write, say and think… Quiet and told to remain that way. In the name of freedom we've decided to completely diminish the meaning of truth, justice, good, evil, right and wrong, and seek to erase what role they play in our lives completely if it means no longer living under their constraint; we have entered an age of moral bankruptcy and depravity, by those who wish to dictate what should be morally acceptable and politically correct if it means to allow them to do whatever they want, where true morals are denounced with praise and applause. Where true human decency, dignity, honor, pride, bravery, purity, innocence and glory – every element that makes the good people in this world what they are – will no longer have any meaning in this world, and will be seen as nothing more than illusions if not already. An age where there are no heroes or villains. Where everything wrong, corrupt, disgusting, decadent, degenerative, horrible, sickening, perverse, shameful, disgraceful and bad is not frowned upon, spoken against, discouraged or spat upon, but celebrated, and we are told as a society by fools to embrace and accept them, by the same self-serving hypocrites who view themselves as righteous and seek to have their voices heard so everyone can see the world in their way. The same hypocrites who tell you to listen to the opposite side, their point of view, when yours is completely insignificant to them and they could give a rat's ass what you think as long as you listen to _them_. As long as _they_ are the ones being heard. As long as _their_ side is understood. There are those who look at _certain_ things in life in a 'better' or 'more open' and even 'forward-thinking' light, but once they're criticized they claim everyone else is ignorant. Positive or constructive advice is spat upon. Everyone else is wrong but _not them_. And everyone _agrees_ with them. Whine and complain until you get your way. Denounce everyone who doesn't see if your 'righteous' way. You're the victim and everyone else is mean and ignorant. And _these_ are the 'heroes' of our time. The everyday 'heroic, rebelling, deviant mavericks' who stand for everything harmful and chaotic in our world, and seek to ruin order, the 'meaningless' values that keep us fighting, morality in an attempt to equate their own immorality and perversions, and whatever else they despise if it means getting everything they want in life, having their vision of the world fulfilled, and so they can feel normal and accepted again, no matter how many innocents fall or are forced to convert away from their values or beliefs, made to feel guilty for not compromising them. And ironically enough, by people with 'bendable ethics'…" He scoffed, covering his face and shaking his head, "if you want to use politically correct sugarcoated bullshit terms… Their ethics are bendable because they don't have their own belief to dedicate themselves to. They don't know what the hell they stand for and fall for anything, but label themselves as 'more open' to save face. They are _not_ one and the same but we've allowed ourselves to buy it, from unconscious pressure no less… And here we stand, doing nothing and just allowing it to roll… Everything that so many people stood for, fought for and died for… everything they all fought to create… all of it… it's all going straight to hell… and in the name of _freedom_ of all things… Freedom can be a beautiful thing... but the moment it's abused, taken advantage of or taken for granted, it can become the single-most devastating thing to threaten mankind. How ironic…" he said with a cringed smile. "Just think. What other way could murder have been given birth in this world? And to think… those who absolutely love this 'freedom' so much and doing whatever they can to squeeze the life out of it are the very ones destroying everything it stood for… reduced to nothing more than the one thing to fall back on when you know you're doing something wrong and have absolutely means of defending yourself. Pathetic," he scoffed. "Just absolutely fucking pathetic! If you look at how corrupt people are, what they're doing to this world, if this is the result of our freedom, we don't deserve it. If this is what the proud and free have done in the name of 'freedom'… to use as a means to lie, deceive, distort and corrupt the world and truth even further, they deserve none of it and should see what it is to lose such a thing…"

Popping his neck once more, along with his elbows and knuckles while barely moving his body, Valia stared at the ceiling, and the display of what could have been the universe disappeared, leaving the room lit in neon blue and a teal-green color. He spread his arms out with his head lowered and slowly turned around to face the girls yet again. Raising his head, it was all gone. The psychotic madness that was written all over his face. It was gone. Compared to how he looked earlier, the shrunken pupils, widened eyes, clenching fingers ready to rip apart the closest living being, saliva finding its way out of his mouth, walking like a half-dead rag puppet, and breathing like something that couldn't be classified as an animal, he looked completely calm and normal. Almost unrecognizable from before. And he still had their full attention. It was that serious.

"I want you to tell me something… What _good_ does all of this do the world? What benefit does the world gain from this? Moral depravity? Acceptance, tolerance, support and empathy for evil in the world and that which has destroyed _lives?_ The diminishing value and appreciation of life? The destruction of traditions and ideologies that have seen the world through for thousands of years? When people have no concern for developing lives for the future, or just a better future at all, you look at all of this, everything, the cesspool this civilization is becoming, and people believe that we're _not _degenerating into a society that is not only downright dysfunctional but completely unsustainable? Perhaps the earlier question isn't whether or not you or anyone else has thought about the future. Rather, have you ever thought about what we're doing to it, and what will happen to it in the direction we're going under? With the way everything in the world is today, we have set ourselves upon the path to _inevitable destruction_. Take a good look at the world around you… and see what it's become, what we've turned it into… The world became the place it was because of those who believed in themselves and others, who had dreams of living the moment and still creating a better future for us. All of us. But people like that don't seem to exist anymore… Instead, the world is infested with people who don't care if they end it. And they are the ones who will end up destroying it. All of it. It isn't because we don't know any better… not because we're confused. No. We as a society have completely and _deliberately_ distorted _everything_ so that everything we once knew as corrupt, dishonest, evil and wrong are now considered truthful, acceptable, just and maybe even heroic, and likewise… Not because 'the times change'. Not because we should 'accept what we don't understand' or other self-justifying excuses. No. I've seen far too many people do this as a means to justify their wrongdoings, bigotry, cowardice and selfishness; to avoid the guilt, shame, responsibility and criticism of others when it causes irreversible damage to someone, especially when it destroys them. Because of them… that is why we're here. Because of them… those who never deserved any of it… who don't deserve to be free… who never should have been given the ability to decide what is 'truth'… as harmful, hateful, degenerating… we allow them to and we've allowed their influence to poison nearly the entire planet into an era of corruption, to the point where anything _good_ in this world is spit upon, everything wrong is embraced, and everything evil is applauded… and in the name of freedom, change, growth, progress, moving forward, or the times. And the ones who fight against this, who wish to withhold and maintain the good in the world, are attacked and silenced by the very people they end up protecting. We live in a world that allows us to do so much, and yet I'm forced to watch again and again and again how pathetically weak and powerless people become against their own urges and desires, driven by little more than lust and greed and reducing themselves into worthless sheep and damaged goods who could care less about accomplishing anything great to help this world or be a positive difference in someone else's life, even corrupting what it means to 'live life to the fullest'. They have every means of keeping those dark urges and desires to themselves, telling others to be cautious in giving in to their own… but instead they gladly choose to exploit them in hopes everyone will see it their way and in a better light when it's potentially dangerous to do so, and victimize themselves when others don't. No one cares how their actions will impact the future if they corrupt today. No one cares how their actions impact the next generation. In fact, we've reduced ourselves to the point where we believe 'the children of the world being the future' is a stupid, absurd and silly delusion, but that _we_ instead are the future – complete contempt to the development of further human life - when in fact many of us could care less if we end up destroying it. We wish to defy nature and law, and rewrite the roles we play in this world, human morality, as well as the core of human nature and nature itself. Everything. And sooner or later we will succeed… because we are so easily seduced to short-term convenience… even when it's purely self-destructive in the long term. It truly is sickening. And this, Kim… is how corruption breeds, and societies fall…" he told them, lowering one of his arms and pointing at them with the other, "Those who do their part in seeking to destroy the order, balance and truth they very much despise in this world, they use whatever means for us to see things their way, by logic or pressure, and slowly we begin to cave in and give them whatever it is they want. Everything good in your privileged life, everything you hold dear, everything you've struggled from and fought to earn, everything that makes you who you are, your morals, your values, your beliefs, your inner strength, how you're willing to stand up for them and do the right thing, the strength that allows you to speak out against what you know deep in your heart to be wrong no matter how many people you offend, the wisdom to make the right choices in your life and guide others from the wrong path no matter how much they don't want to hear it; the ability and drive to _**fight**_ against the evils of the world no matter the cost, no matter how many will turn against you, no matter how unpopular and unaccepted you become… Everything you value in this world, everything you are willing to fight for, everything you hold dear in this world _will soon come to an __**end**__._ At this rate, everything the good people in this world fought and sacrificed everything for would be lost. And many everyday people had no one but themselves to blame. Everything that the good people in this world value, _appreciate_ and hold dear will cease to exist. Everything great in this world will be raped of its value. No… it's far greater than that… worse than that… Because of our advances in technology, thanks to the digital age the world is now one interconnected network of ideas and beliefs; flawed, ignorant, shallow and unjust as they are. No matter what they do, no matter what lifestyles they engage in, whatever belief system they have or what culture they fall under… every time we believe something to be immoral or wrong, we are told that believing in the right thing makes us no worse than a violent dictator. More than ever we're told to look at _every_ single possible angle for _every_ situation no matter how wrong, corrupt or sick they are… which in a sense, rarely, could be fair… until we're forced to believe that that _**every angle**_ is _**just**_. There is no place for judgment or disagreement unless it's against a 'do-gooder'. And that only allows us to further 'justify' taking the corrupt paths in life, and to believe in the wrong things just because we can become familiar with those who have. And further bend the truth to our liking and completely rape it of its meaning, whatever suits our convenience when reality is too powerful for such weak miserable little beings like ourselves to handle. All of these people have one thing in common, Kimberly Ann Possible. Unconsciously or willingly they seek to change the world for their own purposes, and with every passing day they are gaining more power, getting one step closer to making their dream a reality. They seek to change everything in this world, Kim, and they will achieve it by destroying the beliefs and traditions that you and I hold dear, the ideas we live by that we cannot see with our two eyes that make us who we are, and what makes _you_ a good person, the faith that you have both lived by, everything we've fought for, if it all means that they can live what they would consider peace, and ultimately so they can live a happy, comfortable life in which the world suits them, regardless of what they destroy at the expense of others… We know what good is in the world, Kim, and by seeking to abolish it if it means to get our way is what will destroy it. We've gotten so caught up with the present that we've forgotten the future. And that's how we destroy it. We can't have a future if we don't think about it!"

That was when he raised both of his arms again.

"And this, Kim, Yori… is the path we walk on that leads to the world's end… Not by faith as the ignorant will claim. Not by governments people make up stories about. Not by the guns of war that have defended and given us more than we fail to appreciate. Not the freedom it gives us that people abuse, take for granted, and would piss themselves than fight for their own. Not by the weapons we created and destroy ourselves with. Not by the technology that we seek to perfect and render superior to us. Not by the science we use to manipulate life and defy nature. Not the diseases we share and spread with others. Not the laws we feel threaten to oppress us. Not our failures… That is not what threatens to bring the world to its final destruction, its incredible demise and monstrous collapse… This is the one-way ticket straight to oblivion. The path of destruction has been laid open and our journey to the end is inevitable. There is no turning back. We have finally succeeded in embracing and living by the ideas have that failed tremendously in the past. We have finally succeeded in destroying the ideologies that have helped shape this world and see it through. We have finally succeeded in leaving the lessons of history in the dust, condemning ourselves to repeat its worst. We have finally succeeded in questioning, evaluating and rewriting the value of life to determine that there is none. Completely diminishing it. We have finally succeeded in becoming free from everything that has safeguarded us. We seek the power and ability to destroy ourselves. Look at the kind of corrupt, selfish, self-destructive hypocrites we've allowed to gain power in this world… and what they stand for, who wish to obtain their vision of peace at all costs, even if it means destroying everything that may possibly interfere with it, including the core values you and I believe in, that MAKE US WHO WE ARE… And in turn, will destroy more than they intend to… and many of them _hate_ those who choose to stand up against that which they know to be wrong, now mocking that theirs is a fading ideology. How anyone can see the 'good' that comes out of all of this is far beyond me. How anyone can see any of this cancer leading to a better world is something I simply cannot comprehend. How this 'new direction' leads to anything but destruction, especially when everyone's willing to go along with it, I completely fail to see… It's not just western civilization, Kim. It's not just the free world. When the wrong people are given power and control, societies can crumble and fall apart. Human history has proven this repeatedly. And with one interlocked society the entire world will fall. This is the future we have created for ourselves. This is the world that the people wanted. It's arrived. It's finally here. Enjoy it while you can, because it's all coming to an end, and we are the ones destroying it…"

"'_We'_?" Yori asked.

"'_We'_…" Kim repeated.

Turning away, Valia turned his head enough to keep eye contact with them.

"That's right, Kim. It's _us_… _**Humans…**_**"**

Both girls were silent upon his conclusion.

"_Driven to create… destined to destroy…" _he claimed, raising and clenching his human fist in the air, "_That_ is the absolute core of human nature itself… There is no greater power that seeks to destroy us, Kim. Humans are the ones responsible for their own undoing. We are the ones who doom ourselves to failure. We are the ones who doom ourselves to destruction. And soon, the future of the world we live in as well. It is said that the change we wish to see in the world begins with none other than ourselves. To free ourselves from our own inner evils and vulnerabilities, we have to be willing to make sacrifices for ourselves. And we normally did. We were normally willing to. Instead, people don't want to change themselves. They either wish for the change to come to them, which is pathetically laughable, or worse… they wish to change everything else instead. That's exactly what they intend to do, and that's exactly what they are doing. These are people who seek to change the entire world, Kim. Their intentions are not pure, their intentions are not selfless. And even if they claim otherwise, even the best of intentions lead to destruction. They will succeed in changing the world Kim, and in doing so they will destroy not only those who may stand in their way, but in changing the world _**they will DESTROY IT!"**_he screamed, raising his clenched fist.

As if a movie had come to an end, the lights within the death chamber came back to life, illuminating it back in its original golden light. Some of the small machinery on the primary control unit moved briefly, and the spinning mechanism in the back of the room had come to a total stop. The red light that engulfed Valia when the girls first arrived was no longer present, nor was his psychotic and demonic appearance. But the behavior was still present, angered at every word that came out of his mouth.

Enraged, driven, and breathing loudly, Valia decided it was finally time to answer the girls' question. Only now would they understand.

"And _that_, Kimberly… Yori… _That_ is the reason why I have come down here…"

Turning around to face them, he made sure to look at both girls straight in the eye, and take him no less serious than if they were staring at Death itself. With a bitter look written all over his face, void of any optimism of the world, faith in humanity, hope of the future, and empathy towards the society he was forced to betray his original hopes, ideals and beliefs from, with sneering eyes and a bitter curve in his lips, he would reveal to the girls what his plan was.

"I'm here to stop that from happening…"

* * *

_To be continued. Please reserve any judgment on Valia's views (if you have them) until the beginning of the final battle. Honestly I don't care for any debate or harsh criticism because it's not me! It's him! That crazy inner demon deep inside!_


End file.
